KARACHI: Medical experts, economists and educators believe that better and easier access to healthcare could be possible if the state fulfills its responsibility and people willingly pay their taxes.
The Aga Khan University (AKU) organised a panel discussion, titled ‘The Ethics and Economics of Healthcare in 21st Century’ on Thursday as part of AKU’s Sixth Sense Forum lecture series.
“The state is inefficient. It has withdrawn from its responsibilities,” said Dr Akbar Zaidi, an economist. “It has withdrawn even from governance,” he lamented. He said that due to the absence of the government’s institutions, people who cannot afford to pay their medical bills are given access to healthcare facilities by charitable organisations.
Justifying his point of view on political activism, Dr Zaidi said that Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa are the best examples of provinces where health facilities are being provided to citizens. “In Sindh, no one cares.” He said that political competition is very essential and it is time to put pressure on political parties to perform as well.
“Patient care is the primary responsibility,” said Dr Aamir Jafarey, an associate professor at the Centre of Biomedical Ethics and Culture of the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT).
Dr Jafarey said that there are several organisations with success stories such as the AKUH and SIUT, which set standards for others to follow. Those who want to deliver should continue their struggle, no matter what the naysayers say, he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 29th, 2015.
Via The Express Tribune | Lacking: ‘In Sindh, no one cares about healthcare’
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