Efforts revived for establishment of IHRA

Islamabad: With the establishment of the Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority (IHRA), the 2.3 million population of Islamabad will, for the first time in history, have a forum for complaints against public and private healthcare establishments and practitioners.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services Dr. Zafar Mirza Friday said, unlike Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, ICT had no such forum available and this was huge gap. Dr. Zafar was presiding over the Board meeting of IHRA.

The SAPM said, that full efforts are underway to facilitate the establishment of IHRA to complete the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

He further said that IHRA is expected to create a model healthcare delivery and regulatory system in Islamabad that can be emulated by the rest of the country. This would ensure universal health coverage and strengthen the primary health care system.

Dr. Zafar also stressed that had the government shall extend all support to IHRA and insisted that IHRA maintain transparency and accountability in its operations. He also gave various suggestions to the Board to streamline IHRA planning. He expected the Authority to coordinate and act as a focal point for the provincial healthcare commissions.

The meeting was chaired by the Board’s Chairman Dr. Syed Fazle Hadi, and attended by the CEO Dr. Syed Ali Hussain Naqvi and members including Dr. Abid Z Farooqi, Dr. Zabta Khan Shinwari, Dr .Raisa Begum Gul, Dr. Hafiz Aziz ur Rehman, Dr .Waqar Aftab Malik, and Dr. Sabeen Afzal.

Dr. Hadi briefed the SAPM about the functions of the Authority while its CEO, Dr. Syed Ali Hussain Naqvi, stated that despite the fact that the Act was passed in 2018, the people of Islamabad had no authority to address complaints against healthcare establishments and practitioners.

He said, Islamabad is the tenth largest district and its population growth rate is the fastest in the country.” In a city of 2.3 million people, 3,100 private clinics and 1100 medical stores are working,” he pointed out. The IHRA is mandated to regulate private and public hospitals, clinics, laboratories, and blood banks and provide redress to citizens’ complaints as well as control quackery in Islamabad.