KARACHI: Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA) has strongly condemned what it described as raids and harassment by Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) officials at clinics and hospitals over implementation of the Point of Sale (POS) system, while extending full support to the demands raised by the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA).
PIMA Central President Prof. Dr. Atif Hafeez said healthcare delivery could not be treated as a retail business, arguing that clinics and hospitals were not supermarkets or retail outlets selling fixed commodities.
He said doctors provided essential healthcare services that varied according to the individual needs of each patient, and maintained that imposing a POS system on medical consultations was technically inappropriate.
PIMA also raised concerns over patient privacy, saying the doctor-patient relationship was based on confidentiality. The association claimed that real-time invoicing through the POS system could result in sensitive patient information being transmitted to government systems and questioned whether such information should be accessible to non-medical officials.
Prof. Dr. Atif Hafeez said doctors were already among tax-paying professionals, including salaried doctors working in public and private hospitals as well as physicians engaged in private practice.
He said PIMA recognised payment of taxes as a national responsibility necessary for the country's development, but argued that major policy changes should be introduced in a phased manner rather than implemented abruptly.
PIMA further maintained that the cost of computers, internet connectivity, POS hardware and associated taxes required for compliance could ultimately increase operating expenses for clinics, with the possibility of additional costs being passed on to patients.
The association said it did not want medical treatment to become unnecessarily expensive for patients as a result of additional administrative requirements.
PIMA also objected to what it termed unnecessary bureaucratic interference in healthcare facilities, saying clinics were already subject to regulatory oversight by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), healthcare commissions and district health authorities.
The association questioned why the POS requirement was being applied to the healthcare sector and called for a consistent approach toward different professional sectors.
PIMA demanded that the policy be reviewed and that FBR officials refrain from what it described as harassment of doctors and healthcare institutions.
The association warned that if its concerns were not addressed, doctors could resort to protest action, adding that responsibility for any resulting situation would rest with the government.
