The Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) has introduced a comprehensive hospital grading manual aimed at helping patients make informed healthcare decisions while encouraging hospitals to enhance the quality of their services through healthy competition.
As part of the initiative, the commission held a consultative meeting at its headquarters to present the proposed grading framework and gather feedback from major public and private healthcare providers. The initiative seeks to recognise hospitals that exceed the Minimum Service Delivery Standards (MSDS) and promote higher benchmarks in patient care.
The session was chaired by PHC Chief Executive Officer Dr Muhammad Saqib Aziz and attended by senior representatives from 12 leading hospitals. Prof Dr Khalid Masood Gondal, Vice Chancellor of Fatima Jinnah Medical University (FJMU), along with officials from hospitals in Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and Multan, joined the discussion virtually.
During the meeting, PHC Director of Clinical Governance and Organisational Standards Dr Mushtaq Ahmed briefed participants on the grading manual, explaining that it focuses on healthcare quality, patients’ right to make informed choices and the potential benefits of hospital grading in promoting medical tourism.
Dr Saqib Aziz said the grading framework was developed after an extensive review of international best practices, relevant laws and healthcare standards, while also incorporating feedback from a wide range of stakeholders to ensure it reflects local healthcare realities.
He explained that the framework is designed to formally recognise hospitals delivering high-quality care and provide the public with reliable information to help them choose healthcare providers. He added that the system would eventually become a benchmark for measuring healthcare quality across Punjab and support the province’s growing medical tourism sector.
“The grading of hospitals is a legal responsibility of the PHC,” Dr Saqib Aziz said, adding that the initiative would reward clinical excellence, strengthen patient empowerment and encourage hospitals to continuously improve the safety and quality of healthcare services.
Prof Dr Khalid Masood Gondal described the grading framework as the result of a collaborative effort involving multiple stakeholders. He noted that while compliance with the Minimum Service Delivery Standards has improved healthcare quality, the grading system represents the next step in driving further excellence.
Participants welcomed the PHC’s efforts to establish a transparent scoring and ranking mechanism focused on clinical quality and patient safety. They also stressed the need for the commission to provide technical support to hospitals to help them achieve better performance under the new framework.
The meeting concluded with consensus on launching a pilot phase before the province-wide implementation of the grading system, allowing authorities to incorporate lessons learned and further refine the framework before its official rollout.
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