Daily Times

The total public health expenditure as percentage of GDP during the fiscal year 2016 has been increased to 0.45 from last year’s 0.42 percent. As a result the private sector steps in to fill the gap, which is one the reasons whythe healthcare provision has become one of the most profitable businesses in the country. Despite the fact that private healthcare spending in the country runs in millions of dollars, yet it fails to keep up to international standards. This fact might also provide the answer to the question that so many ask in Pakistan that why our beloved prime minister always fliesabroad for his check-up, and this time for his surgery.

Well, it is better to be safe than sorry. I know of so many people who despite spending so much on their healthcare had to go through horrible experiences at private healthcare facilities. Such case studies not only highlight the incompetency of the staff that works in such private healthcare facilities but also of government authorities, which are responsible for keeping a check on them.

The healthcare system of Pakistan can be divided into various types, based on the income level of people. Those belonging to the poor, impoverished, and even lower-middle to middle class prefer to go to public or sarkarihealthcare facilities. However, those who can afford mostly go to private healthcare facilities. There is another class of people that chooses premium healthcare services within the private sector. Upon entering such hospitals/healthcare facilities, it is quite normal to get a feeling that you have entered a five star hotel. Some of these service providers even claim to provide four or five star facilities. However, even this type of healthcare, despite being so expensive, doesn’t ensure the safety of patients.

I would like to mention here three case studies, mostly of people that I know personally, who went to top-notch healthcare services providers but had to undergo horrible experiences. These experiences not only inflicted permanent physical and mental scars on them, but also highlighted the corruption that exists in every nook and corner of this country.

It happened in a premium healthcare services provider located in a posh sector in the federal capital of Pakistan. A woman pregnant with twins got admitted in the hospital for childbirth. The woman underwent a medical procedure, resultingin the birth of the first child in a normal state. However, the second child required serious attention and a constant supply of oxygen. The second-born died after a few hours. But the real shock came when after two days the firstborn also died. It happened although the woman had no medical complication.

In another instance, a young pregnant woman from a well-off family got admitted at another such hospital in Islamabad. Although there was no complication in the case, yet during childbirth it was found out that the circumference of child’s head had been miscalculated. Since the medical procedure had begun, therefore, it was almost impossible to get the child born through C-section. It was a horrible experience for the woman and her family. Although the woman gave birth to a healthy child, the child was badly bruised due to continuous use of forceps, pushing and pulling.

There is another case study from Lahore. A young man suffered a stroke and was admitted to a premium healthcare provider in Lahore. The medicines used for treatment were brought from the pharmacy located in the hospital. The patient was lucky that his father while purchasing the medicines found out that the expiry date of the medicine had been reprinted. All of this was happening at a hospital that is one of the leading private healthcare providers in Lahore.

The state on one hand is not catering to the growing healthcare needs of its citizens. On the other hand, it has also abdicated its role of being a regulator of healthcare services offered by private facilities. As a result quacks of all sizes and shapes have started looting the wealth of people. The healthcare providers claiming and costing so much must be put to a stricter check. Those who spend so much money deserve the service they pay for. Additionally, the competence of staff at every hospital should be checked at regular intervals. A great deal of media attention is spent to unearth quacks that are looting the poor. On the other hand, the quacks at a higher level remain unnoticed. The government and the media must play its role in putting a strict control over private health facilities, especially on those who claim to be the best.

The writer is a development consultant. She tweets at @GulminaBilal and can be reached at coordinator@individualland.com