Citizens Complain Of Heavy Fees, Skimpy Services At Private Hospitals

Citizens Wednesday demanded of the authorities concerned to take notice of charging heavy consultancy fees and poor quality of services at private hospitals functioning in the federal capital

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Apr, 2019 ) :Citizens Wednesday demanded of the authorities concerned to take notice of charging heavy consultancy fees and poor quality of services at private hospitals functioning in the Federal capital.

According to them, despite receiving heavy fees and other expenses in the name of better medical services for patients a majority of private hospitals have lack of standard services and equipment for incoming patients.

They said the medical and para medical staff also have lack of proper training in the relevant fields due to which many patients on daily basis have to face sever medical complications.

Arif Amin, a patient said the actual situation in many well-known private hospitals is against their tall claims of providing best services to patients as they are just taking advantage of limited services in public hospitals.

He said due to limited beds and unavailability of doctors at public hospital in the federal capital, many patients have to move to private hospitals for treatment of their health issues but they face not only financial losses in the name of tests and consultancy but several times they do not receive relevant care.

Another patient, Aslam Hameed, admitted in a private hospital said "Despite submitting over half million rupees, I still failed to receive treatment and consultancy of my choice as the hospital has hired the services of juniors doctors who are not so experienced to give me proper medical opinion and treatment." He said, "It was more better for me to go to a public hospital and receive treatment from same junior doctors with similar medical services. By availing services of any public hospital, I could protect myself from further deceiving in the hands of private hospital's people." A citizen Salim Hayat said due to negligence of Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), many doctors in private hospitals are doing their practices without having valid council license.

He said as per laws without valid council registration no doctor is eligible to practice in the country and asked the authorities concerned to take strict action against doctors having invalid council registration and doing their practice in private hospitals.

He said many quacks have been running their private clinics in different areas of federal capital just to cheat the innocent people and collect money from them in the name of treatment of their illness.

It is pertinent to mention here that under PMDC laws, no person, other than a registered medical or dental practitioner can practice medicine or dentistry and if any person who acts will be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years but will not be less than six months or with fine which may extend to Rs 200,000 but will not be less than Rs100,000 or with both.

Similarly, under PMDC rules no medical certificate or prescription or advice is considered valid unless obtained from a medical or dental practitioner having valid registration.

When contacted an official from the PMDC said in case of receiving any complaint the council is responsible to take action against the medical practitioner. Even it may cancel his or her license to stop further practice as doctor, he added.

He advised the citizens to submit online or written complaints with the PMDC in case of receiving substandard services from private hospitals or facing any negligence of private doctors.

He said the council through a public notice clearly warned the medical practitioners and specialists without having valid registration for validation of the registration of council's certificates.

He said after two month of issuance of this notice, Names of the doctors with invalid registration will be published in the newspapers for strict action.

He said all medical and dental practitioners, specialists and faculty with expired or invalid registration have been asked to get their PMDC registration renewed, with failing which the council will initiate strict action in exercise of its powers conferred under PMDC ordinance 1962.

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