Govt amends Private Medical Act

The Government yesterday decided to make amendments to the Private Medical Institution Act to ensure that patients receive quality health care facilities as in State Hospitals.

Health Ministry statics said a considerable percentage of people in the country seek private medical treatment and the government has focused on the quality of their service and patients are exploited by private medical institutions.

A range of activities in private medical institutions such as channeling doctors, medical tests etc will be taken into account when such places are regulated by bringing Amendments to the Act.

It is reported that specialists are in the habit of charging exorbitant rates from patients.

According to the Health Ministry spokesman, a 12 member committee has been appointed by the Health Minister to look into the possibility of amending the existing Private Medical Institution Act providing more muscle to the Government to monitor activities of such institutions.

Ministry officials other than the Provincial Health Director or Deputy Provincial Health Director can not enter or inspect private medical institutions under the 24th Clause of the Act. The Ministry is considering to add more provisions to the Act to enable the Health Services Director General and Health Services (Laboratory Services) Deputy Director General to inspect private medical institutions.

He said the Ministry has received complaints over some private medical institutions which charged more than Rs. 50,000 from patients for a kit of blood. Private medical institutions are provided blood by the National Blood Centre free of charge but they have to pay Rs 550 for the blood kit only, he said. CP