ILO, IHRA to Launch Revised MSDS for Healthcare Worker Safety and Patient Care in ICT

ISLAMABAD – In a significant move to strengthen healthcare, International Labour Organization (ILO) and Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority (IHRA) have partnered to launch a set of revised Minimum Service Delivery Standards (MSDS) for health facilities in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT). These new standards aim to enhance protection for healthcare workers while simultaneously improving patient care.

The new standards, introduced under the ILO–Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)–World Health Organization (WHO) Working for Health Programme, align with key international labor conventions. They provide hospitals with clear, practical guidance on improving workplace safety, the quality of care, and overall working conditions. The updated MSDS introduce systematic risk assessments, protections against violence and harassment—particularly for female staff – and better working conditions aimed at retaining skilled health professionals.

Speaking at the launch, Dr. Malik Mukhtar Ahmed Bharath, Minister of State for National Health Services, emphasized the importance of the new standards. “Infection prevention and control – tackling hospital-acquired infections and antimicrobial resistance – must be top priorities,” he said. “The Ministry will stand squarely behind IHRA to register and license facilities, end unsafe practices, and make Islamabad a model healthy city for all.”

Geir Tonstol, Country Director for ILO Pakistan, highlighted the fundamental right to safety at work. “With the revised MSDS, we are placing workplace safety, dignity, and social dialogue at the heart of health service delivery – because a healthcare system can only thrive when it protects both its patients and its workers,” he stated. IHRA Chairman Dr. Muhammad Riaz Shahbaz Janjua reaffirmed the authority’s commitment to collaboration. “Regulation is about partnership, facilitation, and building a health system where standards are credible, reliable, and fair for all,” he said, noting the shift from a “policing role” to one of engagement and support. The new standards will be rolled out immediately in hospitals and clinics across the ICT, with plans to replicate the model in Punjab to foster safer and fairer healthcare throughout the country. The initiative has received a joint commitment from government ministries, IHRA, and the ILO to ensure its successful implementation, with IHRA overseeing compliance and the ILO providing ongoing technical assistance and capacity building.