Punjab Healthcare Commission - PHC

30/01/2026

World Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Day, 2026

30/01/2026

Medicine safety and recall alert

All healthcare professionals, distributors and manufacturers must show vigilance and stay alert regarding the following medicines, which have been declared either suspected to be injurious to health or substandard/adulterated, and are subject to immediate regulatory action.
• 1. Injection Friezole (Metronidazole) 500 mg/100 ml
o Registration No.: 111703
o Batch No.: 25FZ03C
o Manufacturer: M/s Friends Pharma (Pvt.) Ltd.
o Issue: Suspected to be injurious to health due to reported product quality defect, i.e., discolouration
Directions
• Healthcare professionals are directed to immediately stop dispensation and administration of this batch in all health facilities and clinics until further orders.
• Distributors and retailers (pharmacies/medical stores) must immediately cease distribution and sale of this batch until further directions.
• Any product quality issue or suspected adverse drug reaction associated with this product must be reported to the Provincial Pharmacovigilance Centre, Punjab, at mss.pshealthpunjab.gov.pk

2. Sub-standard and adulterated medicines – recall ordered
Based on testing by the Drug Testing Laboratory, Punjab, and directions of the Provincial Quality Control Board, the following products have been declared substandard and adulterated, and are subject to recall:
• Tablet BP NORM (Atenolol 50 mg) – Registration No.: 060489
• Cream Kanadex N – Registration No.: 012475
Each gram contains:
o Dexamethasone 21 phosphate (as disodium salt) 1 mg
o Neomycin (as sulphate) 3500 I.U.
Directions for manufacturers
• Immediately recall the concerned batches from the market.
• Provide the complete distribution trail of the recalled batches.
• Complete and upload the “Recall Assessment Form” on the DRAP website: dra.gov.pk/publications/application-forms/
• Conduct a detailed root cause analysis and prepare a comprehensive Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA) plan.
• Submit all the above actions and supporting documents to the concerned Inspector of Drugs for the relevant licensed manufacturing unit.
All stakeholders are urged to ensure urgent compliance with these directions to safeguard patient safety.

26/01/2026

World Leprosy Day 2026

26/01/2026

PHC, PITB sign agreement for payments through PayZen

The Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) and the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) have signed a contract to onboard PayZen digital payment services, marking a major step towards digitalising fee payments, ultimately bringing convenience to citizens and stakeholders. The agreement was signed in Lahore on January 22 by PHC Director Human Resource and Support Services Mr. Asif Habib and PITB Director Development & Procurement Mr. Ata-ur-Rehman.
Under this arrangement, citizens will now be able to pay PHC-related fees digitally from any bank, including microfinance banks, using mobile apps, internet banking or digital wallets, without having to visit bank branches or handle cash. Payments will be processed through a secure, fully transparent system, which generates instant digital receipts and offers 24/7 accessibility from anywhere.
The new system replaces the previous cash deposit model at banks. It is now aimed at making public services simpler, smarter and more citizen friendly by reducing procedural hurdles and enhancing speed and security in the financial transactions. It is pertinent to mention that the PayZen offers streamlined payment management through a unified dashboard, allowing transactions to generate digital invoices and accept payments effortlessly.

24/01/2026

The Punjab Healthcare Commission is taking punitive actions, including heavy fines, sealing of premises and other legal proceedings, against any entity or individual found indulging or claiming to provide unauthorised services.

23/01/2026

PHC convenes consultative meeting on three-tier categorisation framework for clinical laboratories

The Punjab Healthcare Commission convened a consultative meeting to review and deliberate on a proposed three-tier categorisation framework for clinical laboratories, with a focus on both quality and service scope. The objective was to build consensus on the model by defining clear parameters for each tier and clarifying how the prescribed standards would apply across categories.
The meeting, with Chief Executive Officer PHC Dr Muhammad Saqib Aziz in the chair, was attended by leading pathologists from thirteen prominent public- and private-sector healthcare establishments offering diagnostic services.
The proposed framework has been developed following a detailed literature review, incorporating contemporary requirements for laboratory facilities issued by the World Health Organisation, findings from a province-wide survey of clinical laboratories and feedback from the PHC’s inspection teams. The three-tier structure comprises tier-I for basic laboratory facilities primarily at the peripheral level, tier-II for general laboratory services at secondary and tertiary care facilities, and tier-III for advanced laboratories capable of performing tier-II functions and serving as reference labs for lower tiers. The model is anchored in nine key parameters, that is, scope of services, specialised human resources, infrastructure, equipment, quality assurance systems, biosafety and biosecurity levels, laboratory information management, public health role and number of locations. The initiative addresses a major regulatory gap as only 33 out of more than 1,000 inspected laboratories currently hold the PHC licence.
The consultative meeting concluded with broad agreement on the three-tiered framework, with experts endorsing the overall approach while recommending refinements, such as excluding blood banks and radiology services, to simplify the implementation of the regulatory regime. The CEO directed that a six-member expert sub-committee be notified to further refine and finalise detailed criteria for each tier ahead of rollout. The framework is expected to provide laboratories with a clear roadmap for compliance, streamline inspection and licensing processes, and, above all, help ensure that patients across the province receive safe, reliable, and high-quality diagnostic services.

22/01/2026

21/01/2026

Medicine recall alert

The Drug Testing Laboratories, Punjab, have declared the following products substandard and adulterated, and the Provincial Quality Control Board has ordered their recall from the market:
1. Injection Neudex 1 mL (Dexamethasone sodium phosphate equivalent to Dexamethasone phosphate 4 mg/mL), Reg. No. 042943
2. Infusion Zeesol H 1000 mL (Ringer Lactate). Each 1000 mL contains: Calcium Chloride 2H₂O 0.27 g, Potassium Chloride 0.40 g, Sodium Chloride 6.00 g, Sodium Lactate 3.20 g, Water for Injection q.s., Reg. No. 019752

The manufacturers of the above mentioned products are hereby directed to immediately recall the affected batches from the market, provide a complete distribution trail, upload the duly filled “Recall Assessment Form” on the DRAP website (drap.gov.pk/publications/application-forms/ ), conduct a detailed root cause analysis, and prepare a comprehensive Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA) plan. All these measures, along with the relevant supporting documents, must be submitted to the authorities concerned.

21/01/2026

پنجاب ہیلتھ کیئر کمیشن کی انسدادِاتائیت کارروائیاں، صوبہ بھر میں 692 اتائیوں کے کاروبارسیل

پنجاب ہیلتھ کیئر کمیشن نے انسدادِ اتائیت کریک ڈاؤن کو مزید تیز کرتے ہوئے گزشتہ چار ہفتوں پر مشتمل حالیہ مہم کے دوران صوبے بھر میں 692 کاروبار کو سیل کر دیا ہے۔ دستیاب اعداد و شمار کے مطابق پی ایچ سی کی انفورسمنٹ ٹیموں نے اس عرصے کے دوران صوبے کے تمام اضلاع میں مجموعی طور پر 3,014 مراکز کے دورے کیے۔ ان میں سب سے زیادہ کارروائیاں لاہور میں ہوئیں جہاں 1,105 مراکز پر ریڈز کی گئیں اور اتائیوں کے 303 اڈوں کو سیل کر دیا گیا۔ دیگر نمایاں اضلاع میں سرگودھا میں 208 ریڈز کے دوران 33 مراکز سیل کیے گئے، ملتان میں 204 چھاپوں کے نتیجے میں 29 مراکز، فیصل آباد میں 154مراکز میں سے 34 جبکہ خانیوال میں 119ریڈزکے دوران 17 کاروبار بند کیے گئے۔ بہاولنگر، اٹک، چنیوٹ، گوجرانوالہ، جھنگ، راولپنڈی، رحیم یار خان، شیخوپورہ، اوکاڑہ، ننکانہ صاحب اور دیگر اضلاع میں بھی اتائیت کے متعدد مراکز کے خلاف کارروائیاں عمل میں لائی گئیں۔غیر قانونی مراکزکو سیل کرنے کے ساتھ ساتھ انفورسمنٹ ٹیموں نے مزید 256 ایسے مراکز کی نشاندہی بھی کی، جہاں اتائیت کا کاروبار یا تو پایانہیں گیا یا دوسری جگہ منتقل ہو چکا تھا یا انہیں کسی دوسرے کاروبار میں تبدیل کر دیا گیا تھا۔ اسی طرح 1,793 ایسے مراکز زیرِنگرانی لائے گئے ہیں جہاں دوروں کے وقت مستند اور اہل معالج موجود تھے، تاکہ اس بات کو یقینی بنایا جا سکے کہ وہاں قانونی اور محفوظ طبی عمل مستقل بنیادوں پر جاری رہے گا۔ اس مرحلہ وار حکمتِ عملی کے ذریعے کمیشن کو ایک طرف اتائیت کے خاتمے پر براہِ راست توجہ دینے اور دوسری طرف ان مراکز کی مسلسل نگرانی کرنے میں مدد مل رہی ہے جو بظاہر قواعد و ضوابط پر عمل درآمد کا دعویٰ کرتے ہیں۔پی ایچ سی کے ترجمان نے کہا کہ کمیشن کی انسدادِاتائیت مہم کے آغاز سے اب تک فیلڈ ٹیمیں صوبے بھر میں 251,000 سے زائد علاجگاہوں کے دورے کر چکی ہیں، جن میں سے تقریباً 64,700 غیر قانونی مراکز کو مستقل طور پر بند کیا جا چکا ہے، جبکہ 30,200 سے زائد اتائیوں نے کارروائی کے خوف سے اپنے غیر قانونی کاروبار ترک کر دیے ہیں۔

21/01/2026

PHC steps up anti-quackery actions, closing 692 illegal outlets across Punjab

The Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) has intensified its crackdown on quackery, sealing 692 illegal treatment centres during a four-week enforcement drive. According to available data, these actions followed 3,014 visits by enforcement teams of the PHC’s Anti-Quackery Department to healthcare establishments across all districts of the province. The highest number of raids was conducted in Lahore, where 1,105 healthcare facilities were visited, leading to the sealing of 303 illegal centres being run by unqualified individuals. Other districts with significant enforcement activity included Sargodha with 208 visits and 33 centres sealed, Multan with 204 visits and 29 centres sealed, Faisalabad with 154 visits and 34 centres sealed and Khanewal with 119 visits and 17 closures. Districts such as Bahawalnagar, Attock, Chiniot, Gujranwala, Jhang, Rawalpindi, Rahim Yar Khan, Sheikhupura, Okara, Nankana Sahib and others also recorded multiple closures, showing that the campaign is intensive across both districts and their suburbs. In addition to sealing 692 illegal treatment centres, enforcement teams identified 256 premises where earlier quackery-related businesses were either not found, had shifted to other locations or had been converted to other types of businesses. A further 1,793 treatment centres where qualified medical practitioners were present at the time of visits have been marked for surveillance to ensure that lawful and safe medical practice continues on a sustained basis. This layered approach enables the Commission to focus both on outright quackery and continuous monitoring of facilities which claim compliance with regulatory standards. A spokesperson for the PHC stated that the Commission’s sustained enforcement strategy has significantly changed the healthcare landscape in Punjab over the past several years. Since the inception of the anti-quackery campaign, field teams have visited over 251,000 treatment centres across the province, permanently closing down approximately 64,700 illegal facilities and compelling over 30,200 unqualified practitioners to abandon their businesses.

12/01/2026

Training for lab staff on MSDS for clinical laboratories

The Punjab Healthcare Commission held a two-day training workshop on minimum service delivery standards (MSDS) for clinical laboratories at the Management Professional Development Department. The workshop aimed to train clinical lab staff from various districts of Punjab to help healthcare establishments (HCEs) implement standards that enhance care quality and patient safety. Twenty-four participants attended, which included pathologists, lab directors, technologists, technicians, and managers from Lahore, Kasur, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Jhelum, Rawalpindi, Lodhran, Multan and Toba Tek Singh.
Director Clinical Governance and Organisational Standards PHC Dr Mushtaq Ahmed Salariya stressed that ensuring healthcare quality is the responsibility of all HCEs and staff. He noted that PHC’s regulatory framework, internationally recognised and validated by an independent third party, supports quality improvements in the healthcare service delivery. He informed participants that all 16 MSDS sets for different healthcare categories are available on the PHC website, and reiterated PHC’s commitment to making clinical labs compliant demonstration sites.
During the two-day technical sessions, Additional Director (Trainings) Dr Farooq Ahmed Adeel and Deputy Director (Standards Development and Dissemination) Dr Imtiaz Ali outlined the MSDS functional areas. They emphasised the need to establish systems, structures and processes, and to orient staff for compliance. Developing laboratory manuals and SOPs for timely, accurate reporting was highlighted as essential for diagnosis and patient management. The team explained that internal and external quality assurance, preventive maintenance and periodic calibration are integral to MSDS, ensuring reliable results and operational equipment. All ten functional areas, compliance requirements, indicators and assessment processes were discussed.
Ex-Dean Institute of Public Health Prof Dr Zarfishan Tahir discussed the central role of a comprehensive quality assurance programme in quality reporting, emphasising the necessity of internal and external quality assurance through recognised organisations. Renowned haematologist Prof Dr Nisar Ahmad addressed biosafety and biosecurity, underscoring their importance for staff, environmental and community safety, and praised PHC’s facilitative regulatory role.
Participants appreciated PHC’s efforts to promote quality standards and clinical governance, noting the visible impact across Punjab. They expressed that such training on the regulatory framework and MSDS will help healthcare providers achieve optimal quality and patient safety.