Islamabad: The Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority (IHRA) did not inspect the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) for compliance with minimum safety and quality-of-care standards, saying the IHRA Act places responsibility for certifying public-sector hospitals’ compliance with its standards on the federal government.
IHRA officials said the Islamabad Healthcare Regulation Act, 2018, treats public-sector health facilities differently from private hospitals. Public hospitals are deemed registered, while the federal government is responsible for certifying that they meet the minimum safety standards prescribed by the Authority.
The issue has come into focus after a fire at PIMS killed 14 newborns on Wednesday, raising questions about fire safety and regulatory oversight at Islamabad’s largest public-sector hospital.
Officials said public hospitals are required to apply to IHRA for licences for the health services they provide. However, PIMS has not applied for a licence despite the Authority having been operational for several years.
“We set the minimum safety standards through our Minimum Service Delivery Standards, but, in the case of public-sector hospitals, the federal government is responsible for certifying whether its hospitals comply with those standards,” an IHRA official told The News.
The official said IHRA had not been routinely inspecting PIMS or regulating its affairs before the fire because the hospital had not applied for licensing under the Act.
Section 28 of the Islamabad Healthcare Regulation Act, 2018, states that public-sector healthcare establishments shall be deemed registered under the law. It requires the federal government to provide IHRA with a list of its healthcare establishments and details of the services they provide.
Section 28(3) states that the federal government shall be responsible for certifying that its healthcare establishments comply with the minimum safety standards set by IHRA. Another provision requires public-sector healthcare establishments to apply for licences for the healthcare services they provide.
IHRA officials said the arrangement leaves the Authority responsible for setting standards, while the federal government certifies compliance by hospitals it owns and operates. They said PIMS had not approached IHRA for licensing.
It remains unclear whether IHRA had formally directed PIMS and other federal hospitals to apply for licences, and what action, if any, was taken after they did not do so.
Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal also acknowledged the issue during Geo News programme Capital Talk with Hamid Mir on Thursday. He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had directed him to meet the federal law minister to address concerns relating to IHRA, adding that the matter would be resolved within a week.