Nursing homes unable to live up to standards
While none of the 55 nursing colleges recently inspected by the health secretary were qualified for accreditation, a parliamentary panel was informed on Monday that fifteen medical colleges registered under the PTI were registered without any inspection.
Dr Malik Mukhtar Ahmad Bharath, Minister of State for National Health Services, told the National Assembly Standing Committee on National Health that 55 nursing colleges had just been inspected.
“Based on the report [sent in by the health secretary], not one college was determined qualified for accreditation. The Pakistan Nursing Council is compiling a comprehensive report,” he said. Under Mahesh Malani’s direction, Abdul Qadir Patel approved Dr Shazia Sobia to address the Pharmacy Bill on his behalf during the committee hearing. Patel claimed that the PPP moved the jurisdiction pertaining to the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) to the provinces so they can run their own tests as soon as it came into effect.
Tests could not be carried out right away, though, since the provinces were unprepared at the moment. We want the provinces to handle their own enlistments,” he remarked.
The head of the committee cited student non-registration allegations at Al-Nafees Medical College. Dr Bharath reiterated that cases have been forwarded to the Federal Investigation Agency from 15 registered medical colleges that registered under the PTI without inspection.
The panel was informed by the executive director of the National Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine (NIRM) that the institute had lately begun treating clubfoot in children by means of operations.
“NIRM has a quite meagre medical budget of Rs40 million. This makes patients sometimes obliged to buy medications. Still, we make sure that no epileptic prescription runs out.” The committee underlined the need of raising the insufficient medication budget and voiced worries about it. It revealed intentions to pay the institute visits and provide government advice.
Although the health cards system offers free of charge medications in Punjab, certain localities force even impoverished people to pay for them. Medicine should be given to worthy individuals using Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal, it was advised.
