PAKISTAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION WANTS HEALTHCARE COMMISSION TO BE FREE BODY

Pakistan Medical Association
(PMA) has announced adopting no
licensing, no registration policy till
reconstitution of Punjab Healthcare
Commission as an independent and
vibrant regulatory body.
Addressing a press conference at PMA
House, PMA President Dr Ashraf Nizami
said that the medics bodies would not
cooperate with the PHC till acceptance of
demands relating to its effective
working. Flanked by other office-bearers
including Dr Izhar Chaudhry, Dr Kamran
Saeed, Dr Ajmal Naqvi, Dr Wajid Ali and
Dr Tanvir Anwar and representatives of
family physicians bodies Dr Tariq Mian
and Dr Altaf Cheema, he said that
noncooperation would continue till
devising a workable policy to eliminate
quackery.Dr Ashraf Nizami said that other
conditions were appointment of COO PHC
in light of the law, formation of technical
advisory committee, implementation of
minimum service delivery standards at
public sector hospitals and financial and
work audit of PHC.
He alleged that PHC has not made any
serious effort to curb the menace of
quackery. He said that isolated incidents
of sealing unauthorized clinics were
merely eyewash. He said that the PMA
offered unconditional support for making
PHC a vibrant body. But, he said, it was
unfortunate that blatant violation of the
act and posting of blue-eyed on key posts
has made PHC a toothless body.
He said that decisions in the absence of
advisory committee were unlawful. He
said that Chairman and COO were
responsible for illegal decisions. He
reiterated that the PMA and other bodies
would not cooperate with PHC till

acceptance of all legitimate demands.–
Staff reporter