A lot needs fixing

RAWALPINDI: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Mian Saqib Nisar Saturday said the poor condition of medical facilities in the country reflected failure of the state.

Addressing an event at the National Institute of Heart Diseases here, the chief justice remarked, “Patients do not have access to better health facilities. The state of hospitals is such that there are three patients on one bed.”

“There is a need to improve the state of hospitals and a lot of other things in the country,” he emphasised.

The top judge lamented, “Medical facilities are only available for the wealthy. I have tried to play a role in improving medical facilities.”

“It is responsibility of the government to provide funds for health facilities and judges have also given advice repeatedly for improving things at the hospitals,” he added.

“I saw the critical condition of hospitals in Punjab and also saw three people lying on a single bed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The poor condition of medical facilities in the country is a failure of state and it is the government’s responsibility to improve them,” Justice Nisar further said.

“It is unfortunate that there is no facility in the country for children for liver transplantation.”

“Why can’t doctors be appointed as provincial health secretaries?” he questioned.

“Such officers should be appointed who are aware of issues. The culture of favouritism needs to end and all work should be done on the basis of merit,” the top judge stressed.

He further said, “Rs22 million was spent on the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute (PKLI) but it lacked basic facilities.

“For improvements in the health system, more work needs to be done. We have issued guidelines for the machinery present in hospitals. Now, it is the executive’s responsibility to implement the law fully. The Supreme Court will fully cooperate for improvements in the health sector,” he added.