LAHORE – The Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) has directed all public sector hospitals to implement the emergency code system by international standards.
In this regard, an orientation session ‘Guidelines on Hospital Emergency Codes’ was held with Chief Executive Officer Dr Muhammad Saqib Aziz in the chair. The meeting was attended by vice-chancellors, principals and chief executives of medical institutions, along with other senior faculty members, medical superintendents, and consultants from across the province.
Prominent among them were Vice-Chancellor Fatima Jinnah Medical University and Convener of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), PHC Prof Dr Khalid Masood Gondal, VC Faisalabad Medical University Prof Dr Zafar Ali Chaudhary, Principal Ameer-ud-Din Medical College Prof Dr Farooq Afzal, Principal SIMS Prof Zohra Khanam, and Principal Quaid-e-Azam Medical College, Bahawalpur Prof Soufia Farrukh.
The session aimed to enhance participants’ understanding of hospital emergency codes and to facilitate the establishment of standardised procedures for their implementation, with particular attention to code blue (medical emergency), code red (fire), and code pink (child abduction).
Dr Saqib Aziz emphasised the importance of raising awareness among healthcare leaders about the implementation of hospital emergency codes. He noted that the lack of standardised emergency protocols has caused adverse incidents, affecting patient safety and care outcomes.
He underlined the importance of staff training, the setup of public address systems, command centres, and response review committees to ensure effective implementation. The CEO urged hospitals to develop implementation roadmaps in alignment with the PHC guidelines and reaffirmed the Commission’s dedication to enhancing patient safety and quality care in Punjab.
Participants agreed that medical universities should play a key role in developing training modules and offering accredited certifications to strengthen institutional capacity. Prof Khalid Gondal noted that the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP) has already integrated emergency management into its training programmes.
Experts recommended that hospitals assess their specific needs and develop customised emergency plans. They also emphasised the importance of creating local training materials tailored to Pakistan’s healthcare context rather than relying on imported resources that may not be fully applicable.
