Last updated on Thursday, 15, October, 2026
Table of Contents
PHC Minimum Service Delivery Standards (MSDS) Explained: The 10 Functional Areas
The Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) Minimum Service Delivery Standards (MSDS) cover ten functional areas:
- Access, Assessment and Continuity of Care (AAC)
- Care of Patients (COP)
- Management of Medication (MOM)
- Patient Rights and Education (PRE)
- Hospital Infection Control (HIC)
- Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI)
- Responsibilities of Management (ROM)
- Facility Management and Safety (FMS)
- Human Resource Management (HRM)
- Information Management System (IMS)
This guide explains what the MSDS are, what each area is about in plain terms, where hospital software can help, and how to start preparing, beginning with the area that depends most on your records: Information Management Systems.
What the MSDS Are, and What the PHC Does With Them
The MSDS are benchmarks for the minimum level of mandatory services that a healthcare establishment (HCE) must achieve and that patients have a right to expect. They apply to Category I, II and III establishments across all disciplines of healthcare, in both the public and private sectors, including homeopathy and Tibb.
The Punjab Healthcare Commission Act 2010 gives the PHC the job of developing, publishing and enforcing these standards. In practice, the PHC:
- Develops and notifies the MSDS for each category of establishment
- Inspects establishments to check compliance
- Licenses establishments that meet the standards; one that does not meet the minimum requirements will not be licensed and cannot operate
For a hospital, this means the MSDS are not optional guidance. They are the checklist behind your license.
The Ten Functional Areas in Plain Terms
The “what it is about” column is a plain-language reading of each area’s name. The detailed indicators sit in the PHC’s MSDS manual for your facility category.
| # | Area | What it is about | Where software helps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Access, Assessment and Continuity of Care (AAC) | How patients enter care, are assessed and stay connected to care | Registration, appointments, referral and transfer records |
| 2 | Care of Patients (COP) | The care delivered to patients | Clinical notes, orders, treatment records |
| 3 | Management of Medication (MOM) | How medicines are stored, prescribed, dispensed and monitored | Pharmacy and prescription management |
| 4 | Patient Rights and Education (PRE) | Patient rights and what patients are told | Consent and education records |
| 5 | Hospital Infection Control (HIC) | Preventing infection in the facility | Limited; mostly process and training |
| 6 | Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) | Measuring quality and acting on it | Audit reports and action tracking |
| 7 | Responsibilities of Management (ROM) | How the hospital is led and governed | Management reports and dashboards |
| 8 | Facility Management and Safety (FMS) | Premises, equipment and safety | Limited; asset and maintenance logs |
| 9 | Human Resource Management (HRM) | Staff records, qualifications and duties | HR and payroll software |
| 10 | Information Management System (IMS) | Medical records and their review | Electronic medical record and hospital management software |
Software helps most in the areas built on records and data: AAC, COP, MOM, CQI, HRM and, above all, IMS.
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Spotlight: Information Management Systems (IMS)
IMS is the tenth area and the one most hospitals can improve fastest, because it is about documents you already create every day. It holds three standards (28, 29 and 30) and 19 indicators (144 to 162). Twelve of those indicators are critical.
- Standard 28 (IMS-1): a complete and accurate medical record for every patient
- Standard 29 (IMS-2): the record reflects continuity of care, from admission to discharge, transfer or death
- Standard 30 (IMS-3): the hospital reviews its records regularly and fixes what it finds
Read the full breakdown in our guide to PHC Information Management Standards (IMS 28-30), or start with the discharge summary requirement, Indicator 152.
How to Prepare
- Get the MSDS manual for your facility category from the PHC and read the area that matches your weakest records.
- Self-assess against the indicators. For IMS, use the PHC IMS checklist, which covers all 19 indicators.
- Fix the critical indicators first. They carry the most weight in an inspection.
- Assign an owner and a date to every gap you find.
- Re-audit on a schedule, and document what you changed.
- Move to the next area once IMS is steady. Medication management (MOM) and human resource management (HRM) are good second steps.
Get Ready for PHC Inspection With InstaCare
- Download the PHC IMS checklist: all 19 indicators, color-coded critical and non-critical.
- Request a demo to see how CoreMedix hospital management software and the Electronic Medical Record support records, medication and staff management.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Functional Areas Are in the PHC MSDS Framework?
Ten: AAC, COP, MOM, PRE, HIC, CQI, ROM, FMS, HRM and IMS.
What Does MSDS Stand For?
Minimum Service Delivery Standards: the minimum level of mandatory services a healthcare establishment must achieve and patients have a right to expect.
Who Has to Follow the MSDS?
Healthcare establishments of Category I, II and III in Punjab, in both the public and private sectors.
Which Functional Area Covers Medical Records?
Information Management System (IMS), made up of Standards 28, 29 and 30 and indicators 144 to 162.
What Happens If a Hospital Does Not Meet the Standards?
The PHC licenses establishments that meet the standards. One that does not meet the minimum service delivery requirements will not be licensed and will not be allowed to operate.
