Neglected healthcare

On October 21, two incidents at two major hospitals of the country highlighted the performance of the healthcare sector. At Ganga Ram Hospital in Lahore a woman gave birth to a child at the doorstep of the hospital because the hospital administration had refused to admit her due to unknown reason. A week before a similar incident had happened at Tehsil Headquarter Hospital Raiwand. The second incident involved a person impersonating a doctor in Peshawar. The imposter had been fooling the administration of Hayatabad Medical Complex for the last two years. The first incident shows the disregard of healthcare officials to the health of the people. The second incident indicates the weak administration of hospitals. Healthcare is the most neglected and underperformed sector of our country.

The budgetary allocation to health is not enough to cater to the needs of the people. No big hospitals have been established in the country’s major cities while the existing ones are much crowded. The recent outbreak of dengue in Peshawar showed that our hospitals are not prepared for emergency situation as the hospitals went out of space for patients. The provinces have failed to provide adequate health services to the people. The federal government should prioritise health and may take over the country’s major hospitals for a specific period for its efficient administration. It should also build new big hospitals in the country. The capacity building of the existing health facilities must be carried out in the country. Only a healthy nation can guarantee a prosperous country.

M Sayyad Alam Khan (Peshawar)