LAHORE : Jamaat-e-Islami ameer Senator Sirajul Haq has demanded the government ensure free treatment of coronavirus patients at private hospitals in case of insufficient space in public health institutions.
He was talking to Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA) President Dr Muhammad Afzal who called on him at Mansoora on Saturday to brief the JI leader about the latest Covid-19 situation in the country. He also called for cost free test of the virus at public and private laboratories.
“Lack of seriousness and mismanagement at the government level is main reason behind the rapid increase of infection,” he claimed, expressing dismay over “the incomplete and inadequate arrangements for the patients at government hospitals.” Senator Siraj said the prime minister had declared the medical staff frontline heroes but they were not being provided adequate personal protective equipments (PPE). It was due to the government negligence that the country was deprived of top doctors during the outbreak, he added, demanding utilization of maximum resources and facilities, allowances and double salaries to the medical staff who were serving the nation in the most difficult time.
He said the previous and incumbent rulers constantly neglected the health sector. The underfunded public healthcare system, corruption and mismanagement, he claimed, were the key factors that the masses lost faith in the rulers and they were in a situation of helplessness. He demanded maximum funds for the healthcare sector in the upcoming budget. He said the government had announced Rs1,200 billon Corona Fund but public hospitals still lacked facilities and the families of the doctors who lost their lives due to the infection were not paid any compensation package.
Sirajul Haq demanded the government take on board doctors’ organizations in preparing SoPs and distribution of necessary medicines for the treatment of the infection. The SoPs, he said, were not being followed at a majority of public places because the government lacked the will for their implementation. He said the medicines being used for the treatment of Covid infection were disappearing from the market.
Earlier, Sirajul Haq visited the family of prof Dr Hafiz Maqsood Ali who lost his life due to infection. He prayed for the martyr soul and hailed his services.
