KARACHI:
Sindh’s healthcare system is no longer struggling merely with overcrowded hospitals or shortages of medicines; it is increasingly facing a crisis of public trust. Government hospitals across the province remain overwhelmed, while many rural health centres and basic health units function far below their intended capacity. Patients, particularly those from low-income families, often wait hours only to receive hurried consultations. One wonders whether public healthcare is still fulfilling its constitutional duties or gradually yielding to commercial interests.
Although many doctors continue to serve with dedication despite limited resources, it would be equally difficult to ignore the widespread perception that a section of the medical profession has become increasingly money-minded. Government-employed doctors, despite drawing salaries from the public exchequer, are frequently accused of giving greater priority to their private clinics than to their official responsibilities. Equally troubling are persistent allegations that some practitioners recommend medicines manufactured by particular pharmaceutical companies after receiving incentives, rather than prescribing the most suitable or affordable treatment. Whether every such allegation is justified is debatable; that public confidence has steadily diminished is beyond dispute.
The consequences extend far beyond rising treatment costs. Patients increasingly feel unheard, consultations are reduced to a matter of minutes, and many leave hospitals with neither reassurance nor a proper understanding of their illness. A healthcare system cannot inspire confidence when compassion appears secondary to commercial gain.
Addressing this crisis requires more than appeals to professional ethics. The Sindh Health Department should introduce an independent digital prescription audit to identify unusual prescribing patterns and possible conflicts of interest. Attendance and clinical hours of government doctors should also be monitored through biometric verification linked with electronic patient records, ensuring accountability during official duty hours. At the same time, the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council and provincial health authorities must strictly regulate financial relationships between doctors and pharmaceutical companies, imposing meaningful penalties where misconduct is established.
The true measure of Sindh’s healthcare system lies not in the number of hospitals it has, but in the confidence with which ordinary citizens seek treatment. Restoring that confidence should become an urgent provincial priority.
Riaz Mahar
Sukkur
