**Punjab Healthcare Commission Consults Stakeholders to Enhance Service Standards at GP Clinics**
The Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) has initiated a major consultative process to review and strengthen its Minimum Service Delivery Standards (MSDS) for general practitioners, family physicians, and single-speciality clinics. Bringing together representatives from leading family physician bodies, the session focused on updating clinical standards to better serve patient safety and modern healthcare needs across Punjab.
During the meeting, held at PHC’s head office, stakeholders from prominent organisations—including the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA), Pakistan Academy of Family Physicians, Family Medicine Education Centre, PAFP (Doctorscon), and the Pakistan Society of Family Physicians—participated in detailed discussions. Dr Mushtaq Ahmed, Director of Clinical Governance and Organisational Standards, led the briefing, outlining the evolution of the MSDS since its inception through extensive workshops and stakeholder engagement, with subsequent approval by PHC’s governing board and the Punjab government.
PHC highlighted its significant outreach efforts, noting that more than 130 training workshops have been conducted to educate nearly 3,300 family physicians on MSDS compliance. Officials reiterated the Commission’s pivotal role in upholding patient safety and stressed that full adherence to the standards is essential for protecting patients’ rights in clinical settings.
As part of its commitment to continuous improvement, PHC underscored its policy of regularly revising MSDS documents to reflect global best practices and the shifting demands of the healthcare sector. Stakeholders were invited to provide feedback through an online Google form, and family physicians were urged to thoroughly consult the full MSDS text for detailed compliance guidance.
The consultation session also provided an open forum for family physicians to share practical challenges from the field. Key issues raised included difficulties with documentation processes, shortages of trained allied health staff, and infrastructural limitations impacting service delivery. Participants emphasized the critical role of family physicians in delivering affordable, community-based care and called for greater institutional support from regulatory and funding bodies such as PM&DC and Punjab Health Foundation, as well as collaboration with environmental authorities.
Further recommendations included establishing a more structured referral network to link family practitioners directly with public hospitals, and institutionalizing Continuous Medical Education (CME) programmes to keep healthcare providers updated with the latest skills and knowledge.
PHC officials, including Dr Mushtaq Ahmad, Additional Director Dr Farooq Ahmad Adeel, and Deputy Director Dr Imtiaz Ali, welcomed these insights and encouraged participants to submit comprehensive suggestions for potential revisions to specific service standards and indicators. The meeting concluded with consensus on the need for collaborative refinement of the MSDS, aiming to ensure that primary care in Punjab meets contemporary standards of quality and safety.
