Private treatment

This refers to the letter ‘Expensive healthcare’ (January 30) by Wasand Ali Langah. It is true that privately-run healthcare units place extreme financial burden on an average family. The cost of basic medical treatment is exponentially higher than other necessities such as food, clothing and education for a household with limited means. The average cost of medical tests, surgery, medicines and room rent runs in hundreds of thousands.

People belonging to lower and middle-class households have no choice but to seek loans from relatives or friends to meet medical expenses and take years to pay the loan back. Families from rural areas also have to bear the expense of travelling and staying in big cities where better facilities for medical tests and treatment are available. The government should come up with appropriate schemes to provide affordable healthcare to people.

Dr Najeeb A Khan

Islamabad