A model hospital standards and accreditation system for Pakistan.

This article treats the use of a system of hospital standards and accreditation as a means to improve the quality of health care services in Pakistan. In it the author stresses the importance of nationwide standards for accreditation as an educational measure and an incentive to improve, as opposed to a punitive measure. The author outlines a series of recommendations, which followed from the Workshop on Hospital Standards and Accreditation, on the implementation of an accreditation system. These recommendations include the establishment of a National Council, composed of representatives from the government, the private sector and professional organizations, with the authority to oversee the system. The recommendations also stress that the accreditation system should be voluntary, in keeping with the system's educational rather than punitive goal. Finally, the author details a methodology for developing standards in specialized areas through corresponding standards committees.