KARACHI: The Sindh government’s tall claim about a better healthcare system and medical facilities has come under serious question as the provincial ombudsman cited “weak infrastructure and manpower” in the annual report and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) exposed a much-publicized attitude. (a) About offering free treatment to the people saying that free medicines are not given to the patients even in emergency cases.
The facts were shared in the ‘Annual Report 2020’ of the Provincial Ombudsman, Sindh, which highlighted the performance, achievements and progress during the last year.
The report submitted by Sindh Lokpal Ejaz Ali Khan to Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah details the performance of provincial departments. It shared that a total of 6,048 complaints were received in 2020, of which 1,229 were processed.
Pointing out the weaknesses of various institutions and making recommendations to address the problems, the report highlighted the situation in Sindh’s health department where it found several loopholes and stressed the need for immediate solutions.
no new hospital in karachi
For example, the city of Karachi has more than 20 million people, the report said, adding that no new public sector hospitals have become operational in the past few years, while the quality of services in existing and available health facilities is meeting essential requirements. Still working. does not. Standard.
Sadly, people go to government hospitals only in ‘forced circumstances’.
Free medicine is not available in government hospitals
“The number of public sector hospitals is far less than the requirements,” it says. For example, in Karachi, the seventh largest city in the world, no public sector hospital has been made operational after Major Ziauddin Abbasi Shaheed Hospital in Nazimabad, Karachi. The quality of services available in public sector hospitals is not at par with private sector hospitals, as a result of which the general public does not have trust in government hospitals. Under compulsion, common man goes to government hospitals. The poor quality of services is also due to lack of accountability system in these hospitals; For example, there is no record of the nature and mortality of patients available to the general public.”
people pay out of pocket
Despite being promoted as free service providers, the report mentions “out of pocket expenses” being borne by poor families in Sindh’s public sector hospitals.
This fact exposed the PPP government’s claim of leading the ‘best free healthcare in Pakistan’ to the people of the entire province and country.
“It is a common complaint that medicines are bought from private medical stores. Even in emergency cases, attendants run from pillar to post to arrange medicines and blood etc,” says the report of Sindh Ombudsman.
The facts of non-availability of free medicines in government hospitals in Sindh are reminiscent of the raids conducted by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) in various commercial markets of Karachi in June this year, which led to the seizure of huge quantities. Number of drugs stolen from National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases and Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi.
The Sindh Ombudsman noted the failure of public sector hospitals, clinics and dispensaries in Sindh to maintain standards of service, which put a strain on the overall health system, referring to the ‘miniature infrastructure’.
“The infrastructure of public sector hospitals in big cities and dispensaries and clinics in remote areas is not up to standard,” it says. “Sindh is experiencing a high rate of population growth. The increasing rate of urbanization and the resulting inequalities have further reduced access to quality health services for the urban poor. This will put further strain on the health system in terms of infrastructure resource requirements and administrative requirements.”
shortage of medical staff
The report also reveals that the number of doctors and paramedical staff does not match the population numbers in the entire province, due to lack of proper incentives, job insecurity, ground-based transfers and postings and lack of facilities in rural areas. are major. are counted as reasons. Due to shortage of trained medical personnel.
“The shortage has resulted in doctors and paramedical staff posted in rural areas willing to serve in urban areas. A large number of doctors have moved out of the country in the recent past due to the law and order situation and unattractive job facilities,” it says.
Need for investigation of private hospitals
Recommending “immediate attention” from both the federal and provincial governments, the Ombudsman also stressed the need for an effective role of the Sindh Healthcare Commission (SHHC) to probe the functioning and operations of private hospitals.
It said, “A large number of quacks are running their business even in big cities and they are responsible for spreading diseases as well as making the life of the public miserable. “The 18th Amendment to the Constitution resulted in the devolution of field services, including health, to the provinces. The SHCC was tasked with strengthening the regulatory function of the government through licensing and quality assurance, and the banning of quackery in all its forms. But now Till now no concrete result has come out.”
It states that Sindh has a thriving private sector with the highest concentration and level of access to private sector health facilities in Pakistan. However, the Ombudsman revealed that private healthcare providers are largely unregulated, accounting for more than 80 percent of the province’s healthcare infrastructure.
Published in Dawn, November 22, 2021