TURBAT:
The civil hospital of Mand has long faced equipment and medicine shortages. Recently, a young girl died as the hospital was unable to provide oxygen support to her. Unfortunately, most government hospitals in Balochistan do not have enough staff, practitioners, and adequate resources to facilitate the patients.
Patients cannot afford private hospitals or travel to other areas for healthcare support. Therefore, they have little choice but to visit civil hospitals nearby. The provincial government has largely neglected healthcare and failed to allocate funds to the hospitals. Resultantly, doctors and nurses are often compelled to work without salaries. This has led to staff shortages further increasing problems for patients. Basic medicines such as Paracetamol, cardiac pacemakers, etc are not available either. Patients with life-threatening diseases are often left at the mercy of God.
Considering that access to healthcare is a civil right, the federal and provincial governments must take note of the poor healthcare services in Balochistan and improve them. Hospitals should be equipped with all the equipment and remote and rural areas should have polyclinics so that patients do not have to travel long distances.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 16th, 2023.
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