Healthcare in tatters

According to a report in this newspaper, all the 42 dispensaries in the areas falling under the Karachi District Council (KDC) have been non-functional for years, depriving residents of suburban areas of Karachi of basic healthcare facilities. Since health occupies the foremost importance in human affairs, the issue needs immediate attention of the provincial government and all the relevant authorities. Local officials say funds were allocated for the dispensaries, but they continue to remain idle, and residents wonder where to look for succor. A KDC official says the two maternity homes in Manghopir and Razaqabad have been lying idle for years. He says under rules each dispensary should have a doctor and a dispenser, but the buildings are either lying vacant or being used as locals see fit.

An opposition member of the District Council says this year KDC passed a budget of Rs2.5 billion. Last year too, a budget of similar outlay was passed. He claims that despite this the council has nothing to show by way of significant development except for the unveiling of a plaque of schemes. This shows that the sorry state of affairs has more to do with official lethargy than availability of funds.

The focal person for the administration says crises in KDC started when it was merged with the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation 2001. The KDC was restored in 2016, he said and added that gradually they will revive its old glory. We are also hopeful.

Pakistan spends a mere .06 per cent of its GDP on health while the WHO recommends spending four per cent of GDP on health. It is time we paid attention to the issue. We have had enough of mutual recrimination. A healthy population is necessary for economic growth. Man-hours lost due to high incidence of illnesses slows down the pace of economic growth.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 6^th, 2018.

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