Hospitals all in private sector were removed for not meeting health standards, says Jhagra
PESHAWAR
The provincial government on Friday announced it has decided to expel 48 private sector hospitals from the Sehat Card Plus panel due to continuous violation of standards set for smooth implementation of the program.
Minister for health and finance Taimur Saleem Jhagra in a message on his twitter account said that the decision was taken to ensure quality of health facilities in the private sector hospitals of the province.
“48 hospitals (private) out of 200 in KP have been removed for not meeting standards, and 32 hospitals have been added.
You can’t say we should run this programme with standards, & then sensationally attempt to create news when done,” he explained.
Sources in the health department said that the decision to remove the 48 hospitals was made in a committee formed by the health department with the director of an independent monitoring unit as its head to ensure transparent implementation of the program in public and private sector hospitals.
The minister said that continuous empanelment and delisting process would be continued to provide patients with effective and standard health facilities across the province.
Director health card plus program KP Dr Riaz Tanuli has said that the provincial health department has tightened its nose around hospitals continuously involved in violations of standards outlined by the department.
He said that more hospitals would be expelled from the health card panel over standards violations, adding that currently 203 hospitals are included in the panel of Sahat Card Plus in KP.
Mr Jhagra has added that after the State Life inspection, it was found 48 private hospitals could not maintain the required standard of treatment.
He maintained that no compromise will be made on the quality of free treatment under the health card, adding that Health Card services will be suspended in these hospitals for six months.
After six months, these hospitals will be re-examined and if they meet the criteria, these hospitals will be made part of the health card system, he added.
The provincial health minister said that it was the mandate of State Life to empanel or expel a hospital for the health card program in KP.
