ISLAMABAD-The Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority (IHRA), a body to monitor private clinics and hospitals, has been working with a single person since its establishment, the Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services (NHS) was informed on Friday.
Meeting of the Senate Standing Committee held here was chaired by Senator Khushbakht Shujaat to discuss the public importance of health issues and performance of the health departments.
The committee was discussing the point of public importance on the agenda regarding public healthcare at risk because of mushroom growth of unauthorised private clinics and hospitals in Islamabad.
Senator Muhammad Javed Abbasi said that a mushroom growth of private clinics and hospitals has been observed and IHRA has failed implementing its order on them.
“The act was passed two years before and the authority was established to regulate the private business of the clinics and hospitals but it has done nothing,” he said.
He said that the authority was made a powerful body in law but still it has not addressed the public grievances.
Senator Asad Ashraf said that the authority would have been functional in one week but the ministry failed in doing so despite it has examples of the health authorities in provinces.
“The authority could be functional with a single order of the secretary but it has been delayed,” he said.
Responding to the Senators, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the IHRA Dr. Ali Naqvi said that since the establishment of the authority he is the only staff of the body.
“I am the only employee of IHRA,” he said.
The CEO IHRA said that after the establishment of the authority, its budget had lapsed and it is dysfunctional in exercising its powers.
Health officials said that the delay in functioning of the IHRA is a fact and the ministry is coping with this situation, while novel coronavirus (COVID-19) further put the issue on the backburner.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on NHS Dr. Faisal Sultan said that the IHRA has budgetary issues and the ministry is trying to solve it on priority.
The chair of the committee directed the ministry to prepare a report on non-functioning of the IHRA in the city and present it to the Parliament.   
Discussing the issue regarding percentage and coverage of immunisation/vaccination of children under the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) in the country, the health authorities informed that more than 8,000 hospitals are vaccinating and immunising the children in the country.
Health officials also said that in Gilgit-Baltistan and Balochistan, mobile units work to provide immunisation to children. Officials informed that the immunisation infrastructure in the country is being expanded to include maximum children in the network.
The committee was also informed that a fresh survey is being conducted in the on-going month to understand the coverage ratio of immunisation in the country, while approximately 84 per cent children are getting immunisation and vaccination in the country.
The committee also discussed the issue of a ban on diploma certificates for the nurses resulting in shortage of paramedical staff and causing concern amongst the medical community raised by Senator Dr. Sikandar Mandhro in the Senate.
The committee was informed that the ministry has provided educational opportunities to the nurses and is also working to recruit more nurses keeping in view the significance of the profession.