NA Standing Committee on Health Services, directs for ensuring presence of specialists/Doctors during duty hours
Chitral Times Report
ISLAMABAD: The Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination today met in Parliament House with Dr. Muhammad Afzal Khan Dhandla, MNA in the chair. The Committee expressed displeasure on the attitude of bureaucracy for not taking the parliamentary business serious. The Committee unanimously decided to proceed against those officers/heads of organisations who absent themselves from Committee meetings in future without any cogent reason. The Committee observed that the health care institutions in the public sector were not effectively serving the public residing in the federal capital. The Ministry was asked to ensure provision of health care facilities in public sector hospitals and presence of doctors and specialists during duty hours.
The Committee also expressed its displeasure on the non-implementation of recommendations of the Standing Committee made in its previous meeting regarding action against Registrar and repatriation of Assistant Registrar Pakistan Nursing Council (PNC) for their defiance towards President of the Council and illegalities in carrying out official business of the Council. The Committee recommended for immediate compliance of its recommendation. The Committee also directed Secretary of the Ministry to brief the Committee about the reconstitution of the PNC after passage of the recently enacted PNC law.
The Secretary apprised that the Federal Ombudsman for harassment at work place had restrained the Ministry for taking any action against Assistant Registrar. He apprised that a search Committee had been constituted for employing officers in the PNC and on its recommendations the process of recruitment was in process. The Committee also expressed its displeasure on absence of President and Secretary of the Pakistan Pharmacy Council from the meeting.
The Committee directed that departments should be represented by senior officers as required under the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly 2007. The Committee directed for conveying written displeasure to all those officers who were absent from the meeting. The Committee after discussion unanimously approved Pakistan Red Crescent Society Bill 2023 moved by Ms. Asiya Azeem, MNA. The Committee was apprised that the Bill in question seeks to bring the working of the Orgainzation in-line with the present day requirements besides suggested observing neutrality, impartiality, independence of the Orgainzation besides adherence to the statutes of International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and Geneva Conventions.
The Committee appointed a Sub-Committee under the convener ship of Mr. Nisar Ahmad Cheema, MNA and assigned all the pending business to it for its quick disposal. The Committee has been assigned to discuss the Unani, Ayurvedic and Homeopathic Practitioners Amendment Bill, the Infectious Diseases and Control Central Bill, calling attention notices and Questions referred by the House regarding Officers working in the Ministry on deputation, lack of services in Poly Clinic, issues of vacant positions of doctors in PIMS etc. the Committee has been asked to complete the task in thirty days.The Committee later directed Ministry to ensure payment of covid risk alliance to non clinical staff of the hospitals in Islamabad as announced by the government.
The Secretary M/o NHSR&C apprised that the Ministry will ensure the payment and a summary in that regard has ama ready been submitted to the Finance Division for allocation of funds. The Committee disposed of a matter referred by the Hon. Speaker to the Committee regarding discrimination against a private pharmacy institute. The Committee was apprised that the Pharmacy Council had rectified the issue through withdrawing its earlier communications. The meeting was attended by Minister of State for NHSR&C Dr. mahesh Kumar Malani, MNAs Mr. Nisar Ahmad Cheema, Dr. Samina Matloob, Ms. Zahra Wadood Fatehmi, Dr. Darshan, Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Bhatti, Ms. Shams un Nisa, Dr. Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro, Mr. James Iqbal, Movers Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali, Ms. Aliya Kamran, Ms. Asiya Azeem, Secretary NHSR&C and Senior officers of concerned departments.
