Islamabad, June 28, 2021 (PPI-OT): While further considering the Federal Medical Teaching Institutes Bill, 2021, the majority of the members of the Committee opposed the bill, with five members voting against the bill and two in favour. The Committee also voted for the bill on “the National Institute of Health (Re-organization) Act, 2021 was passed unanimously.

While discussing the Federal Medical Teaching Institutes Bill, 2021 majority of the Members of the Committee expressed their reservations regarding the reorganization of the Federal Medical Teaching Institutes and Teaching Hospitals. Senator Jam Mahtab Hussain Dahar objected that definitions in the bill are non-specific and are open-ended and that no specific criteria has been mentioned to define terms like “consultant”, “Board of Governors” and Principal Accounting Officer. Senator Rubina Khalid said that for the position of Hospital Director a medical degree must be made mandatory. She further added that appointing all members of the Board of Governor from the private sector for key positions was not acceptable. Senator Prof. Dr. Mehr Taj Roghani said that the bill may be passed as it is.

Some Members stressed that apart from MTI, other options could have been explored as well and they showed their concern that if the bill is passed it may cause an increase in medical charges for the poor and a parallel systems within hospitals.

The meeting was attended by Dr. Faisal Sultan, Special Assistant to Prime Minister for Health, Senator Fawzia Arshad, Dr. Zarqa Suharwardy Taimur, Sana Jamali, Rubina Khalid, Jam Mehtab Hussain Dahar, Senator Dr.Mehr Taj Roghani, Hafiz Abdul Karim, Senator Behramand Khan Tangi, Senator Sardar Muhammad Shafeeq Tareen and Senior officers from the Ministry of Health.

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