KARACHI: This refers to a report according to which the prime minister approved 19 regulatory amendments proposed by the ministry of commerce seeking a ban on the import of certain medical equipment and the unrestricted import of second-hand motorised wheelchairs and second-hand ambulances that are more than five years old.
This, however, ignores the fact that over the years, Pakistan has seen the import of second-hand machinery for use in medical tests such as X-rays, ultrasound, MRI and CT scans. The problem here is that the older machines are not as good as the brand new state-of-the-art ones at detecting complications in patients. This could be risky for patients since it would allow only for a partial, incomplete diagnosis in most cases. Unfortunately, many leading private-sector hospitals and clinics in recent years have imported second-hand machinery and the health and commerce ministries seem to be completely unaware of the possible consequences of this. For example, an old permanent magnet (PM) MRI cannot produce the same image as a new PM MRI because its permanent magnet’s magnetic field deteriorates over time. Hence, it may provide an inaccurate diagnosis.
Medical equipment constitutes a small proportion of Pakistan’s overall imports so the government will not lose much revenue if it bans the import of second-hand machinery for this sector.
Muhammad Asif
Published in The Express Tribune, December 31st, 2012.
