Bilawal, KP medics demand end to privatisation of healthcare facilities

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the representative medical organisations of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa have jointly demanded end to the privatisation of healthcare facilities in the province.

The demand was made through a joint resolution passed during a meeting presided over by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari through video link attended by the party office-bearers of KPK and different health professional organisations of the province.

Hamayun Khan, Faisal Karim Kundi, Rubina Khalid, Dr Nisar Khan and Dr Dawood also participated in the video link meeting. Provincial Doctors Association of KPK President, Dr Zubair, General Secretary Dr Alamgir and Dr Abdul Manan participated in the discussion through te-video meeting.

Young Doctors Association (YDA) President Dr Rizwan and General Secretary Dr Asfandyar Bhitani, Dr Faisal Barakzai, Dr Alamgir Yousafzai, Dr Rodar Shah, Kausar Niaz and Maryam Ambreen also participated.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari told the meeting that there can never be any compromise on protection of front line workers and directed the PPP Coronavirus Relief Committee to provide protective clothing to doctors in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as much as possible. He said that PPP opposes privatisation of hospitals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as well as across the country pointing out that the private healthcare system has failed worldwide after COVID-19 pandemic. “Now it is the responsibility of the federation to help the provinces increase the testing capacity of the coronavirus as in case the doctors at hospitals continue to go in isolation, it will have negative impact on health sector,” he added.

Bilawal said that a welfare state can never subscribe to the narrative that economy is more important than the lives of the people.

During the meeting a joint resolution was passed by PPP and the doctors and paramedical organisations which unanimously demanded a full-time health minister in KPK.

The resolution demanded that the Martyrs' Package should be given to medical personnel who died of coronavirus in KPK. It pointed out that there was zero level lockdown in KP from day one, adding that the lockdown should be implemented in letter and spirit instead of easing it.

The resolution expressed concern that the PTI government fights doctors instead of fighting coronavirus crisis.

It said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Task Force chief Nowsherawan Burki can't be successful in his attempt to run the provincial set-up through Skype from the United States of America, demanding his immediate removal declaring him the root cause of destruction of health system in KPK.

The resolution further demanded that 3000 nurses be hired in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to fill the gap and those already in service should immediately be regularised while the medical doctors in KPK should also be given risk allowance as the Sindh government has started in the province.

The resolution pointed out that the Khyber P Pakhtunkhwa has the lowest number of tests facilities and rampant deaths from coronavirus are a matter of serious concern demanding that the automated testing machines should be provided in coronavirus testing laboratories.

Joint resolution also demanded that the privatisation of healthcare facilities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa should immediately be stopped.