Editorial

Healthcare dilemma

Hospitals not just in Islamabad, but across Pakistan ought to do better

Editorial August 08, 2018

That Pakistan’s medical sector is not up to par is no news. The medical fraternity has been struggling to provide for the growing population of the country. But a recent finding by the Senate Standing Committee on Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) has proven that hospital authorities themselves care little about the safety and welfare of their patients.

The CADD was surprised to find out in a recent meeting that the oldest hospital in the capital, Polyclinic, used outdated methods of sterilising instruments used in operations. The hospital conducts 23 operations every day.

The hospital, which began its operations in 1966, has been using methods that could give way to diseases, distorting the purpose of being a healthcare institution. The committee chairman, Dr Ashok Kumar, rightly called out the hospital administration by saying that “the outdated method can spread hepatitis,” — a disease that many Pakistanis already suffer from. The country has the highest burden of chronic Hepatitis B and C. According to 2015 findings, every 10^th person in the country was suffering from Hepatitis. In fact, over 20 million people in Pakistan were said to be infected with Hepatitis B and C. In the wake of such numbers, hospital administrations—not just the administration of Polyclinic — should be careful about the methods they use to sterilise instruments used in operations.

The hospital administration of Polyclinic’s claim of it facing a lot of problems because of which it is unable to provide best medical treatment to patients is inexcusable. Their lack of care could have resulted in someone’s life being affected forever.

Hospitals not just in Islamabad but across Pakistan ought to do better. And stringent policies need to be taken for the ones risking their patients’ lives. Healthcare institutions should be the last place an individual should expect to contract diseases. We expect accountability.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 8^th, 2018.

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