Healthcare system drowns in neglect

Experts believe setting measurable targets and improving service delivery can be the only saving grace in 2025

PESHAWAR:

Despite over a decade of governance by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the province's public health sector remains plagued by significant shortcomings. The promises of improved healthcare facilities and reforms have yet to materialize, leaving millions of residents struggling to access even basic medical services.

In 2024, like previous years, the provincial government declared an emergency in the health sector. However, the situation on the ground narrated a different story since key initiatives, including the much-touted Sehat Sahulat Card, remained riddled with inefficiencies, with services in many hospitals either unavailable or partially suspended.

Despite the government's claims of prioritizing healthcare, the health budget utilization was regrettable. The KP government allocated Rs232 billion for health expenditures in 2024, including Rs35.76 billion earmarked for developmental projects. However, in the first half of the fiscal year, only 15 per cent of this budget—equivalent to Rs5.29 billion—was utilized. Similarly, the ambitious air ambulance project, another flagship initiative, remained buried in bureaucratic red tape, with no signs of becoming operational anytime soon.

The Sehat Sahulat Card, once hailed as a game-changer in KP's healthcare landscape, was allocated Rs35 billion for 2024. Yet the government is still grappling with over Rs12 billion in unpaid dues from the previous year, leaving patients without the promised benefits of the welfare scheme. This lack of funding and operational inefficiency has severely impacted the program's effectiveness, creating uncertainty among those reliant on it for critical healthcare needs.

A senior official from the Health Department K-P, speaking on the condition of anonymity, revealed that although budgets were allocated, the actual delivery of healthcare services usually fell short.

"Patients suffering from diseases like cancer and tuberculosis face immense challenges in accessing medicines and treatment. Despite claims of universal health coverage, many people in KP are still struggling to avail even basic healthcare. KP and its merged areas still lack Basic Health Units and District Headquarter Hospitals hence compelling people to shift their patients to Peshawar for treatment," stated the official.

Furthermore, promises to expand specialized cardiac care to districts beyond Peshawar have also gone unfulfilled. In fact, many areas remain without access to life-saving facilities, forcing patients to travel long distances to seek treatment; an ordeal that often results in the loss of lives.

According to the Health Department K-P, the province is currently managing 120 projects under the Annual Development Program (ADP), including 90 ongoing projects and 30 new initiatives launched during this fiscal year. The budget of the ADP for the health sector totals Rs19.79 billion, of which Rs18.19 billion is allocated for ongoing projects and Rs1.59 billion for new ones. So far, PKR 6.46 billion has been released under the ADP, with 89 per cent utilized. While this figure seems promising, many critical projects remain incomplete or underfunded, depriving citizens of much-needed healthcare services.

"KP needs a comprehensive health policy for 2025, which focuses on measurable targets and improved service delivery. Without a robust strategy, the health crisis in KP will continue to worsen," concluded the official.