ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court observed that no work has been done by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government in the health sector as the public hospitals neither have X-ray machines functional nor there is an oxygen system.

A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed, on Tuesday, heard the suo moto on the increase of breast cancer cases in the country.

The bench directed the federal and the provincial health secretaries to submit a report on measures taken for the treatment of breast cancer in the public hospitals.

The chief justice questioned where billions of rupees in the KP are being spent?

The recruitment in the KP public hospitals, from top to bottom, was made on recommendation, he added.

Advocate General Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Shamail Butt informed that the KP government has allocated Rs3 billion for purchase of machinery and the treatment of breast cancer, adding the project’s PC-I has already been prepared.

The chief justice remarked that the KP government only prepares PC-I of the project, but there is no further progress on them.

Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel said the real issue is of human resources, as the government purchase millions of rupees’ machines, but there is no one to operate them. He said people would die by the time hospitals are constructed.

He stated there is no oncologist in Balochistan.

Shamail Butt informed that the KP government has started issuing health cards to its people for better medical facilities.

He said under health cards programme each registered person could avail medical facility up to Rs1 million.

The chief justice remarked the government might have allocated Rs5 to Rs6 billion, adding but that will go into the pockets of the officials. The advocate general said the government came into action when the apex court took notice of rising breast cancer cases.

Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar inquired about the mechanism for issuance of the health cards.

The AG KP then briefed the bench about the procedure.

Justice Mandokhel inquired from additional advocate general Balochistan “Where does the health budget of Balochistan go?”

He said to date, no open heart surgery has been performed in Balochistan. The health secretary Balochistan was ordered to appear before the Court on the next date. The case was adjourned for a week.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022