Daily Times

Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar took suo motu notice on hospitals charging patients exorbitant fees.

During a hearing at the Supreme Court Lahore Registry on Saturday, the chief justice remarked that private hospitals fleece patients by charging them a hefty amount on a per-day basis.

Therefore the court issued notices to owners of 12 private hospitals in Lahore, summoning them today (Sunday).

Notices were also issued to the health secretary and healthcare commission. The CJP earlier took notices of loopholes in the health sector of Punjab.

In one of such hearings, he took notice of disparity in salaries of doctors working at government-owned health facilities, saying those called from abroad are paid a hefty sum while the local ones are given a small amount.

Speaking about the Pakistan Kidney & Liver Transplant Institute, Justice Nisar said that doctors working there were getting a salary of Rs 1.2 million, while the ones working at a public hospitals get Rs 0.2 million.

The chief justice also sought details of hospitals being run on funds by Recep Tayyip Erdogan Trust and said that he would continue to survey hospitals even if anyone had a problem with him doing so.

He also issued notices to the Secretary Health Punjab and Punjab Healthcare Commission in this regard.

Remarking over the water issue, the CJP clarified not to tolerate water theft at any cost. He also announced to take action against those stopping from the construction of the dams under Article 6.

We only want to serve the nation, he added. The top judge also lauded the special report regarding wastage of water that was aired on a news channel and said that it has unveiled the reality with facts.

Published in Daily Times, September 16^th 2018.