EDITORAL
The expensive health system in Pakistan
Health is the most significant part of human life. Even power and wealth are secondary to the cause of health. Health systems determine the socio-political growth of a nation. Then, the provision of health is the primary obligation of a government. Therefore, public health systems are a critical part of governance. Hence, the quality of the health system is directly proportionate to the socio-cultural growth of a nation.
Pakistan has been an agricultural country; therefore, food security and quality has been assured. Village life had been more suitable to the health standards in the various parts of Pakistan. Then, urbanization and defective food mechanisms destroyed the health standards in Pakistan. Urban planning and growth remained unchecked; better towns and cities were not developed, resulting in an inefficient supply of civic amenities. The poor city management, along with poor food supply chains, compromised the health system in Pakistan.
Furthermore, Pakistan needed help to develop a functional health system. The primary reason has been human resource management and their subsequent disillusion with the public health system. The existing health system needed to match the rising population and technological standards. Resource allocation is essential. However, the government has been contributing to all factors to improve the health system in Pakistan. Then, unfortunately, the public health system has yet to be able to deliver, and it has hardly coped with the majority of the population. Therefore, the private sector has grown exponentially to cater to the health system’s needs. It also grew from the level of a street quack to state-of-the-art private hospitals.
Resultantly, private health providers are a mafia now. They include doctors, pharmsuiticals and operational human resources. Then, capitalists invested the money into the health system as the profits were enormous. It is an industry now because people shall pay for their life and health. However, the private sector needs solid regulation. The taxation regimes are not in place. The fee structure is unaffordable for the majority of people. Then, there are unqualified health providers, and they may charge less; however, they need to meet the standards of quality health provision. There is also an alliance between pharmaceutical companies and private hospitals. It has made a worse situation for medicine supply and provision of health services.
The government needs help to cope with the rising population. It is a challenge that only the public health sector can not sustain. Therefore, the contribution of private health providers is critical. However, private health systems require sold regulation so that ordinary people can afford medical services at reasonable charges.https://republicpolicy.com/healthcare-in-pakistan-a-critical-need-for-reform/
