Balochistan Point Voice of Nation
By: Sana Samad
It has been a long time that Balochistan government is not provided high funds for the hospitals of Balochistan. During the Mushraf government around 20 million were given to establish a laboratory in Quetta for the purpose to check the patients properly. They also focused on improving drug sector and reducing the widespread prevalence of communicable diseases. A Women Health Project was launched with around 3750 million to bring lots of improvement in health nutrition. Unfortunately, now we see nothing, done by the government that goes to the benefits of poor people who cannot afford good treatment.
The responsibility goes to the provincial health department to provide the basic health facilities to the people. The non-availability of medical staff, medicines and necessary facilities problems are occurring in Balochistan hospital. Mostly, the government doctors did not give favor to government hospitals, and they have their private clinics as part time jobs. Due to this, they never bother them to attend the government hospitals. Only the poor people visit government hospitals, but without any doctors what they would do there. The people have expressed that there is lack of public facilities, questionable doctor’s behavior with poor patients and absence of staff. Their complains are completely going wast as none of our leaders have act upon them to provide quality facilities to the poor patients.
It has been a business to open private hospitals in Balochistan where the patients are treated as customers like in high profile hotels. Mostly, the private hospitals are opened by the doctors to earn a huge profit of money. The doctors are earning a lot of money from admitted patients in the shape of room charges and other services. In last two years, private hospitals have increased highly in Quetta. Nearly 100 private laboratories have been established in provincial government capital to do things. But none of government laboratories or clinics has been established in entire Balochistan where people could do their medical reports.
The unsafe foods and medicines in Balochistan are creating threats to the public health. The adulterated ghee and cooking oil are being sold in open market in major cities and towns. It is estimated that the dealers are involved in drug selling sub-standard drugs and also spurious drugs are sold among common people. Many shops of expired medicines and drug stores are operating without license. Due to this the environment is completely being damaged. Some dangerous diseases including waterborne disease and no quality facility has been provided to eradicate the disease in Balochistan.
Unfortunately, Quetta is totally affected from air pollution which is threatening the health. Not only air pollution, all types of pollution has affected Balochistan. Water pollution is producing dangerous diseases due to lack of water supply and sanitation facilities, no proper sewerage disposal, and waste management and contaminated. These things can easily be solved, but who is willing to work on these things?
The provincial health authorities are the only key to bring improvement in health sector. More efforts should be given to overcome the ongoing issues of health. The Population Welfare Program should be given more valued to make it effective, and more Health Workers should be given opportunities to control the needs of high rising population in Balochistan. The government doctors are present to work on government hospitals then why have they made their own business? These doctors should not be allowed to attend private hospitals during their duty times. More the government hospitals would continue functioning, so the deadly diseases would slowly decrease in the province, and people will not suffer from any disease further.
Published in The Balochistan Point on September 25, 2016
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article are those of the author and The Balochistan Point not necessarily agrees with them.
