National News

ISLAMABAD, Dec 7 (Millat + APP): Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, Saira Afzal Tarar on Tuesday said that steps have been taken to ensure safe blood transfusion and implementation of other mega health projects.
Addressing the concluding session of International Conference on Patient Safety organized by Air University here, the minister said that the government has already taken some innovative steps included empowerment of Drug Regulatory Authorities of Pakistan (DRAP), Prime Minister’s National Health Programme and reforms in Pakistan Medical and Dentil Council (PMDC).
She said that these regulatory bodies not only carry out inspections but also provide the practical guidelines for ensuring safe health practices.
She added under the guidance and leadership of the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the ministry will continue to implement pro-people policies in the health sector.
She said that access to quality health-care is a key pillar of our development agenda.
She added nursing sector which was a neglected area, has received major attention from the government as part of the agenda to improve patient care and safety.
Saira said under a major reform programme, Pakistan Nursing Council (PNC) has been revamped and for the first time, a Ph.D nurse has been appointed as President of PNC while Online Registration System for nurses has been launched for the first time in the country’s history.
She said entire backlog of old registration cases has been completely eliminated and registration cards are now being issued the same day under the urgent category and in two weeks under the routine category.
She appreciated the efforts of the organizers of this conference which was aimed at creating awareness and a platform for the stakeholders and to come up with standards of quality and patient safety in healthcare at national level.
She said that quality healthcare is the right of every patient. She added rapid evolution with the advancements taking place in the field of biological sciences and allied technologies and medical institutions, therefore, must work together to upgrade the skills with focus on latest techniques and interventions and research work.
She said that it is an established fact that patient care and emergency response are areas which require special attention.
She said that the Ministry of National Health Services fully supports this conference with the expectation and hope that it will contribute to improved patient care in the country.
“We believe that accessible, quality and safe patient care should be the ultimate outcome of our endeavors. All our plans and policies are focused on creating a healthcare environment which is focused on delivering high value for the patients in Pakistan.”,she remarked.
Saira Tarar said “Our comprehensive National Health Policy framework developed in consultation with all provinces, includes quality and safety of care as a major priority area. We need to develop a collaborative care approach between health professionals and healthcare providers for embedding a patient safety culture”.
She said hospitals should have dedicated and trained professionals responsible for quality and patient safety. She added hospitals should also have systems in place to document medical errors through an adverse event reporting mechanism.
She said that the Air University has taken this important initiative of promoting quality and safety in Pakistan by inviting international speakers and gathering key stakeholders in healthcare to discuss patient safety issues and relevant solutions.