The Lahore High Court on Tuesday directed the Punjab Government and the Punjab Healthcare Commission to ensure that healthcare establishments do not operate on provisional licenses for an indefinite period.
“They are to specify a time frame within which these establishments must acquire regular licenses,” it ruled.
Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh issued five guidelines in a detailed judgment in response to a case where a lady petitioner was admitted to Prime Care Hospital in Faisalabad for the delivery of her baby but ended up suffering from paralysis.
“The Commission must enhance its capacity to fulfill its duties under the PHC Act, and the government is directed to allocate necessary funds for this purpose,” the judge ordered.
He further added that the Commission shall “immediately develop standards to regulate healthcare services related to C-section procedures in consultation with a technical advisory committee, the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Pakistan, the Pakistan Society of Anesthesiologists, and other stakeholders.”
Justice Tariq gave the government and other relevant authorities 90 days to complete the process. His directives further stated that the standards should particularly include a mechanism for the clinical audit of all C-sections performed in the province.
