IHRA Moves to License Islamabad Healthcare Facilities

Islamabad: (Staff Reporter) – The Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority (IHRA) has taken a major step towards introducing a formal licensing system for hospitals and other healthcare facilities in the capital following the PIMS hospital tragedy.

The authority has forwarded a detailed inspection checklist to the Ministry of Health for approval. Officials expect the notification to be issued next week.

According to sources, the proposed checklist includes 303 Minimum Service Delivery Standards (MSDS) covering a wide range of healthcare, safety and administrative requirements.

IHRA has also brought in relevant experts who will assist with inspections of healthcare facilities as part of the licensing process.

The licensing drive is expected to begin on September 7, with the initial phase focusing on two major public-sector hospitals: the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and Polyclinic.

Polyclinic has already submitted its application for a licence to the IHRA, according to officials.

The authority has so far received more than 800 licence applications from healthcare facilities across Islamabad. The applicants include public and private hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation centres and blood banks.

The large number of applications reflects the scale of the regulatory exercise, which is aimed at bringing healthcare providers under a structured system of inspection and licensing.

IHRA officials said the initiative is intended to strengthen healthcare standards and improve the overall quality of medical services available to residents of Islamabad.

The licensing system will also allow authorities to assess healthcare institutions against defined service delivery and administrative standards, helping identify shortcomings that may affect patient safety and quality of care.