ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Health Mustafa Kamal met members of the Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority (IHRA) Registration Board to review the suspension of the licensing process by the previous IHRA board.
According to the Ministry of Health, the meeting was convened to examine the matter and to ensure that the licensing process is resumed in accordance with legal requirements.
The ministry directed the Registration Board to begin issuing licences after completing all legal formalities. It said the basic objective of IHRA is to ensure the provision of safe and quality healthcare services in Islamabad.
The ministry said registration and licensing of all public and private healthcare institutions must be ensured. During the briefing, it was informed that 800 applications had been received for obtaining licences in Islamabad, while the previous IHRA board had stopped the licensing process.
The Ministry of Health directed that pending cases related to registration and licensing of healthcare institutions be disposed of swiftly. It also ordered immediate action on cases that had already been completed and were ready for processing.
The ministry further directed that a workable daily target be fixed for disposing of cases. It said all relevant healthcare facilities should be provided written information about the registration and licensing procedure.
An effective awareness and facilitation campaign should also be launched to guide institutions, the ministry said. It further called for the introduction of a regular complaint system for the prompt redressal of public grievances.
The ministry directed that the shortage of human resources be addressed after fulfilling all legal requirements so that there is no obstruction or delay in the inspection, registration and licensing process.
It also directed that all necessary measures be taken to ensure effective monitoring of healthcare facilities in Islamabad.
