SHC seeks report on govt hospitals’ condition

The Sindh High Court sought on Tuesday a detailed report from the Sindh government on the treatment of patients suffering from illnesses other than Covid-19 and the worsening condition of government hospitals.

A two-member bench, comprising Justice Khadim Hussain Shaikh and Justice Adnan Iqbal Chauhdry, was hearing a plea, according to which the poor, suffering Covid-19 and other diseases, were facing inconvenience at private and public healthcare facilities.

The petitioner's counsel maintained that heart patients, those injured in accidents and other patients were asked to show their coronavirus test reports before being admitted to a hospital.

He added that Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and the Sindh Health Care Commission (SHCC) had not submitted their replies on the plea despite the court orders obliging them to do so.

Justice Shaikh asked what efforts were being made for providing better treatment to patients suffering from illnesses other than Covid-19 and what was the health regulatory authority in the province doing in this regard.

The court sought a detailed report from the provincial government and sought replies from the SHCC and other parties on the condition of healthcare facilities on July 22.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 8^th, 2020.