In the absence of the proper check and balance, the private sector hospitals are also fleecing people at will, making the life of common man more difficult. Talking to Business Recorder on Tuesday, well-placed sources said that a number of private hospitals in the Federal capital and its suburbs were charging poor people heavily and they had to run from pillar to post for stuffing the pockets of the health service providers.
"Poor masses, already crushed by high food inflation, are left with no option, but to visit government hospital for treatment of their near and dear ones", sources added. There are two main government hospitals in the capital-Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) and Federal Government Services Hospital commonly known as Polyclinic-are providing medical facilities to a huge population of the capital and its surrounding areas, which lacked specialised institutions.
"But the problems these people encounter in the government hospitals are harsh behaviour of the medical staff, waiting in long queues for their turn, non-availability of concerned doctors and above all dearth of medicines", said the sources. Comparing the treatment cost in both the private and government hospitals, the sources said that the government hospitals offered free medical treatment to the masses, while the private hospital charged fees at their own sweet will.
Giving the example of the well-known private hospital in the capital, "Shifa International," the sources said that it was the most expensive medical facility in the capital. "The fee structure of the hospital is really out of reach of a common man", the sources said.
According to the sources, the plot that was allotted to the owner of this hospital was basically for construction of a trust meant for free medical treatment and facilities to the masses. But with the passage of time, it took the shape of a full-fledge hospital and started charging treatment fee. "It is of sad concern that nobody took notice of this and slowly and steadily the hospital became the most expensive hospital in the town", the sources maintained.
Sharing the details of the treatment charges at this private hospital, the sources said that for a normal dressing, the charges were Rs 580; routine tests: Rs 550; for an appendicitis operation: Rs 70,000; for liver function and renal test: Rs 1,160; and the room charges starts from Rs 10,000 per day. The total consultancy fee is Rs 1,660, which includes Rs 800 basic, Rs 280 for file and Rs 580 as services charges.
"It is of deep concern that everyone has to pay additional Rs 580 as service charges along with the fee", the sources added. Sources further said that another point that needed to be highlighted was that generally in hospitals, there were Causality Medical Officers (CMOs), who diagnosed the disease and then referred the patient to the concerned specialist, but in this hospital, there were nurses who performed this duty.
"There are many nurses, who are not much competent and due to this, they referred cases to the wrong medical specialists. This gives rise to a number of problems for the patients", sources added. The sources told this scribe that besides making huge money, the emergency ward of the hospital lacked important and modern medical equipments.
On the other hand, the most astonishing thing was that for the staff of Shifa International, the medical was not free, the sources said, adding they had to pay if they availed of any service or any medical treatment. The sources further said that in the hospital, there had been a separate wing called "Falahi Centre" that is meant for the people who could not afford the expensive medical treatment.
"Unfortunately, it is also not offering medical treatment free of cost, however, as compared to Shifa International, the charges here are a bit low", sources added. Talking about government hospitals, the sources said that Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) was facing lack of funds. The government had allocated Rs 1,225.48 million for 2008-09.
"The amount is not sufficient because most of this is being spent on buying costly surgical machinery and equipment, while the remaining amount is being spent on buying medicines", sources added. "There are a number of medicines that need to be kept in the hospital, but due to shortage of funds, it become difficult for the administration to afford them," sources maintained.
Sources requested the government to keep a check on all the private hospitals and also allocate sufficient amount of money to the government hospitals so that they could provide better health facilities to the masses. "There is a dire need that the government should constitute a committee which can monitor the working and fees structure of the private hospitals and save innocent people becoming their victim", said the sources.
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