KARACHI: After visiting the existing private sector facilities conducting PCR testing for COVID-19, on the request of the Technical Committee on Laboratories and Diagnostics formed under the directives of Chief Secretary, the Sindh Healthcare Commission’s Inspection team undertook visits of public laboratories, currently providing services of COVID-19 PCR testing.
The team comprised of members from the inspection teams of the Directorate of Licensing and the Directorate of Complaints. The team, under the supervision of Director Complaint Dr Amir Hussain, comprised of Dr Zubair Soomro, Dr Mansoor Bhutto, and Dr Lubna Raees.
The team has conducted satisfactory visits at the laboratories of the Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Dow International University, Civil Hospital, and Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation. Based on the visits, reports were shared with the concerned.
The Directorate of Anti-Quackery visited in this week's District Hyderabad, District Shaheed Benazirabad, District Qamber Shahdadkot Taluka Warah of division Larkana, District East of division Karachi, District Jacobabad Taluka Ghari Khero of division Larkana, District Dadu Taluka K.N.Shah of division Larkana.
The teams observed, inspected, and verified pathological labs, diagnostic centers, collection points, GP clinics, medical centers, RHC, homeopathic, isolation centers, and wards.
This week, the team visited 226 clinics, labs, and diagnostic centers. Nine clinics were sealed, and to date, a total of 3507 healthcare establishments (HCEs) have been sealed in Sindh.
Forty-eight warnings were issued to clinics for non-compliance this week. To date, the total warnings for non-compliance issued to clinics add up to 1356.
The Directorate of Clinical Governance & Training, in collaboration with Medical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases Society of Pakistan (MMIDSP), arranged an online training session on COVID-19. More than 250 candidates, which include doctors, paramedics, and senior technicians from the Fatmiyah Hospital, Darul Sehat Hospital, Patel Hospital, MHEF, NIBD, and Khairunisa Hospital, attended the training.
The covered topics included Prevention and Precautions for COVID-19, Donning & Doffing PPE, Hand Hygiene, COVID-19 Patient Management, Collection and Securing Naso/Oropharyngeal Test Samples, Waste Management, Environmental Cleaning, and Management of Exposed HCW. The Directorate of Clinical Governance & Trainings was nominated by the Government of Sindh to conduct training sessions for healthcare providers in the district East Karachi as a WHO Master Trainer.
The Directorate of Complaint received a total of 130 complaints to date, out of which 90 complaints have been disposed of, 36 complaints are under process, while 4 are sub-judice. While the Directorate through the PMDU portal, received 846 complaints out of which 322 complaints have been resolved, 18 are in process, 456 have been dropped, and 50 complaints have been forwarded.
While the Directorate of Licensing and Accreditation compiled the database for ventilators and isolation wards at the public and private hospitals in Sindh. The Directorate received a total of 10,800 applications for registration to date. Registration certificates have been issued 9509 HCEs. The total number of provisional licenses issued to HCEs is now 23.
-DN Report
Dr Muattar Hanif
The author is Editor at Dental News Pakistan and can be reached at newsdesk@medicalnewsgroup.com.pk
