The Commission for Healthcare, apex body under the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) and the coordinating agency of over 5000 Catholic healthcare institutions in the country, will set up a mechanism to see that the health policy of the Church is implemented strictly by the member institutions.

The National Catholic Coalition for Health and HIV-AIDS will be set up to monitor the implementation of the health policy which was announced two years back with a view to set the moral, ethical and therapeutic guidelines for the hospitals and training institutions run by the Church, said commission executive secretary Rev Dr Alex Vadakkumthala.

The Commission is also planning to form an association for the pharmacists working their hospitals. A meeting of the Commission will take place in July to chart the action plan for the next year and give stress on collaborating with the Government programmes under the PPP lines, he said.

The Catholic Church runs six medical colleges, 764 hospitals, 2575 dispensaries, 115 medical training centres, 61 centres for alternative systems of care, 116 non-formal health initiatives, 74 care and support centres and lots of mobile and healthcare ventures, as per the list of 2003.

About 45 per cent of the Catholic healthcare institutions are in the four Southern States and about 85 per cent of them are in rural areas. "We will continue to focus on spreading out in the rural areas as we don't want to build up structures and big institutions," he said.

Among other things, the comprehensive code calls for rational drug policy which stipulates for promotion of effective use of drugs of good quality. The cost of drugs will be the deciding factor when quality is assured. Generic drugs will be used whenever possible.

The selection of drugs will be based on the WHO Essential Drug List and the National Essential Drug List. A committee will be constituted in hospitals that will prepare the essential drug list and will be reviewed periodically. Drug promotion by companies through gifts and other incentives in Catholic institutions will be discouraged,'' the policy draft said.

"Polypharmcy (the practice of prescribing too many medicines, unwanted duplication of drugs) will be strongly discouraged. Irrational, banned, useless and hazardous drugs will not be used," it said.

The Commission which issued the guidelines to all the member institutions keeps updating and formulating directions on a regular basis. The comprehensive policy also stipulates strict guidelines on quality of institutions, education systems, rehabilitation, training, standards of treatment and care, healthcare management, labs and diagnostic systems.

Dr Alex said, the institutions stick to the policies on their own as a 'mission' of the Church and the regional councils and allied organizations like Catholic Health Association of India, Catholic Medical Mission Board and Catholic Nurses Guild of India join the effort to implement the policy.