The Punjab Healthcare Commission convened a consultative meeting with leading pathologists and healthcare stakeholders to revise the Minimum Service Delivery Standards for clinical laboratories, aiming to align the standards with current diagnostic technologies, evolving legislation and international best practices while keeping them practical and focused on patient safety. Attendees reviewed the MSDS framework, praised PHC’s collaborative approach, and proposed targeted changes to improve laboratory oversight, diagnostic quality and accreditation processes.
Seventeen pathologists attended in person from Lahore, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Jhelum and Sargodha, and ten senior experts joined via videoconference from Rawalpindi, Bahawalpur, Multan, Jhang and Rahim Yar Khan. Representatives from the Pakistan Association of Pathologists, public and private healthcare institutions, and various professional bodies also took part in the discussions.
Dr Mushtaq Ahmad, Director Clinical Governance and Organisational Standards, briefed participants on the MSDS background, explaining that the standards were developed through a rigorous consultative process and operationalised after approval by the Technical Advisory Committee and the Board of Commissioners. He emphasized the need to update the MSDS to reflect advances in diagnostic technology, changes in healthcare law and lessons learned during implementation.
Participants commended the PHC for engaging stakeholders at all stages of development, dissemination and inspection, noting that this collective approach has improved laboratory practices. They stressed that stronger standards are essential for enhancing diagnostic accuracy, improving treatment outcomes and protecting patient safety.
Several key recommendations emerged from the consultation. Experts proposed categorising laboratories by scope of work so compliance requirements can be tailored appropriately. They urged increasing the number of laboratories supervised by qualified pathologists to ensure professional oversight, and suggested rationalising which tests are permitted as point-of-care diagnostics to preserve reporting quality. Attendees recommended that PHC inspection teams adopt a more facilitative approach and include qualified pathologists to enhance technical accuracy and credibility. They also proposed merging certain indicators and introducing new ones to bolster the grading and accreditation framework.
A working group of senior pathologists was formed to refine the proposals and submit consolidated feedback within a week. Those consensus-based inputs will be incorporated into the revised MSDS draft and presented to the Technical Advisory Committee and the Board of Commissioners for approval.
