Increase in hospital fees termed unwarranted
Rights activists say revised treatment costs are unaffordable for a majority of the people.
MIRPUR:
Rights activists and social workers in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) have expressed concern over the ‘staggering’ increase in the cost of health care in state-run hospitals and medical units. They have termed the decision unwarranted.
The government recently directed the AJK Heath Services Department to increase various medical charges in state-run hospitals, basic health units and rural health centres some by as much as 425 per cent. Examination fee for outpatients has been increased from Rs5 to Rs30, while admission fee has been increased from Rs120 to Rs510, to mention a few.
“The government has increased the price of health care at a time when it should be providing free medical treatment especially to the poor and down trodden people,” said Mir Muhammad Siddique, who heads a non-governmental organisation, Kashmir Watch International, in Mirpur. He said the state-run hospitals already lack medicines and other basic facilities and people are forced to get treatment from private institutes. He said that with the price increase, people will have no reason to go to public hospitals for treatment.
Rashed Akram, a social worker and analyst based in Mirpur, seconded Sidiqe’s assertion. He said the price increase will make treatment at state-run health facilities unaffordable for a majority of the people.
He condemned the increase in the price of health care in public hospitals, adding that the people are already burdened with frequent price hikes of food and daily use items. He urged the AJK government, the policy makers and the AJK Heath Services Department to withdraw the price increase immediately in the larger interest of the state.
When asked to comment on the price increase, an official of the AJK Health Services Department, requesting anonymity, said the department has no say in the matter since the govt ordered for the hike. He added that only the government could explain the reasons for the price increase.
The concerned government official, AJK Health Services Director General Dr Quraban Mir, could not be contacted on his cell phone despite several attempts.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 4th, 2012.
Rights activists and social workers in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) have expressed concern over the ‘staggering’ increase in the cost of health care in state-run hospitals and medical units. They have termed the decision unwarranted.
The government recently directed the AJK Heath Services Department to increase various medical charges in state-run hospitals, basic health units and rural health centres some by as much as 425 per cent. Examination fee for outpatients has been increased from Rs5 to Rs30, while admission fee has been increased from Rs120 to Rs510, to mention a few.
“The government has increased the price of health care at a time when it should be providing free medical treatment especially to the poor and down trodden people,” said Mir Muhammad Siddique, who heads a non-governmental organisation, Kashmir Watch International, in Mirpur. He said the state-run hospitals already lack medicines and other basic facilities and people are forced to get treatment from private institutes. He said that with the price increase, people will have no reason to go to public hospitals for treatment.
Rashed Akram, a social worker and analyst based in Mirpur, seconded Sidiqe’s assertion. He said the price increase will make treatment at state-run health facilities unaffordable for a majority of the people.
He condemned the increase in the price of health care in public hospitals, adding that the people are already burdened with frequent price hikes of food and daily use items. He urged the AJK government, the policy makers and the AJK Heath Services Department to withdraw the price increase immediately in the larger interest of the state.
When asked to comment on the price increase, an official of the AJK Health Services Department, requesting anonymity, said the department has no say in the matter since the govt ordered for the hike. He added that only the government could explain the reasons for the price increase.
The concerned government official, AJK Health Services Director General Dr Quraban Mir, could not be contacted on his cell phone despite several attempts.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 4th, 2012.