The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Punjab has expressed serious reservations over the FBR's proposed move to bring private clinics, hospitals, and diagnostic facilities into the Point of Sale (POS) system, 24NewsHD TV reported on Tuesday.
The concerns were raised during an emergency meeting held at PMA House Lahore under the chairmanship of PMA Punjab President Dr Kamran Saeed.
Following detailed deliberations, a formal letter was sent to the Chairman FBR outlining the association’s objections to extending the POS framework, originally designed for commercial retail and trading businesses, to healthcare institutions, including private hospitals, clinics, pathological laboratories, and diagnostic centers.
PMA emphasized that healthcare institutions fundamentally differ from commercial entities.
It noted that healthcare providers do not collect sales tax from patients, and applying a commercial regulatory model to medical services could lead to unintended negative consequences.
The association highlighted that healthcare delivery is a core responsibility of the state.
Pakistan’s private healthcare sector, it stated, plays a crucial role in advancing national health objectives, including targets aligned with the World Health Organization (WHO), by contributing to equitable access and universal health coverage.
PMA underscored that a significant portion of Pakistan’s population lives below the poverty line and relies heavily on out-of-pocket payments for medical treatment.
Imposing additional administrative and financial burdens, it warned, would likely increase healthcare costs, thereby affecting both accessibility and affordability of services.
Such outcomes, the association argued, would contradict constitutional guarantees and global commitments recognizing healthcare as a fundamental human right.
The proposed system’s requirement for real-time electronic invoicing and digital transmission of service data has also raised alarm over doctor-patient confidentiality and data privacy. PMA pointed out that even billing records may contain identifiable patient information and treatment details, necessitating stringent safeguards to ensure compliance with constitutional privacy protections and medical ethics.
The association further noted that healthcare providers are already subject to various taxes, levies, and commercial charges on infrastructure, equipment, utilities, and supplies, while receiving no subsidies or financial assistance. Increasing regulatory pressures, it maintained, are contributing to worsening national health indicators, including high morbidity and mortality rates.
According to PMA, small- and medium-scale healthcare providers—comprising the majority of private facilities—would be disproportionately affected.
These include sole proprietorships, family practices, and clinics, many operated by women practitioners.
The added administrative burden, it cautioned, could lead to reduced quality of care, treatment delays, and disruption in service continuity, particularly in underdeveloped and rural areas.
The association also recalled a formal meeting held on January 16, 2026, at the Finance Department in Islamabad, during which PMA leadership was assured that the medical profession would not be equated with retailers and that any compliance framework would be developed in consultation with healthcare stakeholders.
In light of these concerns, PMA Punjab has strongly urged the FBR to halt the proposed implementation of POS systems in healthcare setups, stating that the initiative is neither aligned with the realities of medical service delivery nor in the broader public interest.
Dr. Kamran Ahmad, General Secretary of PMA Punjab, reaffirmed the association’s confidence in the government’s commitment to safeguarding the health and well-being of the people of Pakistan.