The affiliation of a private medical college with the Cantonment General Hospital (CGH), the only government facility for residents of Saddar Cantt, and its conversion into a teaching hospital, does not spell good news.
Citizens Forum General Secretary Aziz Ahmad Khan said, “The authorities have handed over the hospital to Yusra Medical College as a training institution which is just a pretext to earn money. Now trainee doctors and students of the private medical college were attending to patients. Experienced doctors like Dr Ghazala, a gynaecologist, and Dr Latif, a dermatologlist left the hospital due to the decision, he added.
The unavailability of medicines at the hospital causes a huge inconvenience and is a big dent on the pocket, he stated. “Even if you need a tablet or an injection, the staff directs you to the pharmacy outside the hospital.”
Giving a brief overview, he said a former federal minister of industries Raja Shahid Zafar donated 16 kanals for the hospital in 1984. Attempts were made to privatise the hospital in 1988, 1996 and 2001 but the residents of the area protested and resisted them. Local politicians set up hunger camps in protest against those attempts, he added.
Malik Ryasat, a resident of Saddar said it was the responsibility of the government to provide affordable healthcare. Provision of healthcare should be above commercial interest, he added. “The hospital administration is earning money from the college but is not ready to facilitate poor patients.”
CGH Medical Superintendent (MS) Dr Khalid Saeed said a contract had been signed with the medical college which was paying a handsome amount of money annually to the hospital. “The government has allowed all general hospitals to affiliate with medical colleges for training newly-qualified doctors.”
We cannot provide everybody free medicine due to shortage of funds, so this facility is only for poor patients. Employees of the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RBC) and Chaklala Cantonment Board (CCB) are treated and provided medicines without any cost, he added.
While he was telling The Express Tribune about the hospital’s pro-poor policies, an old man, Muhammad Sharif, was buying an injection for Rs468 and tablets from the hospital’s pharmacy in the basement. “I’m extremely poor but I’m forced to buy medicines for my wife.”
An employee of CCB, Muhammad Mehmood said he was a poor man but he had to pay Rs1,200 a day for treatment and medicines. He added that he was going to the MS to request a concession.
RCB Deputy Cantonment Executive Officer Tayaba Naseer Sundho said RCB was an autonomous body and the decision was taken after consultation. We’ve signed a contract with the medical college to make this a teaching hospital. She added that doctors and trainees of medical colleges were providing their services at much lower rates for the public’s benefit.
“In government hospitals there are entitled and non-entitled patients. Entitled patients are provided free services and non-entitled outdoor patients get medicines free of cost, but they are charged for treatment if admitted to the hospital.”
Khan Jalil, another resident said the government had earmarked almost Rs40 million for the hospital in recent years but there was no sign of improvement. “The authorities have allocated a part of the five-storey hospital for a hostel.”
Muhammad Afzal Khan, who lives in the vicinity, said Sheikh Waheed Ahmad, a local, donated 300 beds to the hospital in 2008, but they were nowhere to be seen. “The administration should be questioned over the matter.”
Published in The Express Tribune, July 12th, 2014.
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