ISLAMABAD: National Health Services (NHS) Secretary Ayub Sheikh has said that the draft bill for the proposed Federal Health Regulatory Authority (FHRA), also known as the healthcare commission, will be tabled in parliament during its next session.

The bill was finalised in January 2015, but has yet to be passed by parliament, even though the FHRA is the only hope to address the federal capital`s healthcare issues.

There are currently no federal-level regulations regarding the functioning of hospitals and diagnostic laboratories, despite a number of complaints regarding healthcare institutions` failure to properly treat and diagnose patients.

An official from the Ministry of NHS, who was not authorised to speak on the record, said the FHRA would not only regulate healthcare facilities, hospitals, diagnostic laboratories and radiological centres but also formulate`standard treatment protocols` protect patients` interests and provide quality healthcare.

`Currently, health institutions are being misused by people who make money by playing with people`s lives, but there is no regulatory authority.

Moreover, there are no laws or regulations for establishing hospitals and how to run them.

`There has been a mushrooming of diagnostic labs and radiological centres in the country, but no one knows what type of procedures, equipment and professionals are used and employed by these centres,` the official added.

`Once the authority is established the use of substandard medicines will be stopped, because it will become possible to take action against hospitals,` he said.

Af ter the 18th Amendment devolved the health sectors to the four provinces, regulatory authorities were established in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh, but there is still no forum to address healthcare issues in Islamabad.Many complaints have been lodged with the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), but the council is not fully empowered to address them. The PMDC also does not have the force to implement its orders, and instead looks to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in such matters.

The proposed FHRA addresses standardisation, certification and quality assurance, the establishment of a registration board and the regulation of healthcare services, the registration of healthcare facilities, inspections, the elimination of quackery and enforcement of the law.

The NHS of ficial said at the moment, healthcare professionals must register themselves under the 1962 PMDC Ordinance, the 1973 Pakistan Nursing Council Act or the 1965 Unani, Ayurvedic and Homoeopathic Practicitioners Act.

`In case of fake degree holders, councils can suspend the registration of healthcare professionals, but they cannot seal clinics, hospitals or laboratories,` he said.

The secretary general of the Pakistan Medical Association, Dr Qaisar Sajjad, told Dawn it was unfortunate that hospitals were not categorised because of the lack of an accreditation system.

`Because of the lack of accreditation, hospitals that have fewer facilities also have intensive care units, and they charge the same fee charged by hospitals that have all the facilities, Dr Sajjad explained.

He said the FHRA should be an independent body so it can take action without pressure.

Mr Sheikh said the healthcare commission will look into service delivery and quality of hospitals and clinics.

`It will also look into the structure of fees received by patients. The personal conduct of a doctor is the responsibility of the PMDC, but all other things will be covered by the commission.

In response to a question, Mr Sheikh said the bill has been approved by the standing committee and will be tabled in the National Assembly in the next session. He said after this, a number of health issues will be addressed automatically.