The Supreme Court expressed its surprise and extreme shock over lessoning the fact that there is only one certified cardiac Doctor in KP Province. A three-member Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed and comprising Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel and Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi was hearing the case regarding selling and use of substandard cardiac stents during treatment of the heart patients in the country. After this unbelievable disclosure Supreme Court went to check the overall condition of healthcare facilities particularly availability of Certified cardiac doctor in other provinces. The Court inquired about how 4,615 heart procedures were performed in the KP in the last one year with just a single certified cardiac doctor and the KP Healthcare Commission’s CEO was not in position to answer the question of the learned court. It was further informed to the court, that there are only 40 certified Cardiologists in Punjab. The Court ordered the Sindh and Balochistan provincial healthcare commissions to submit a report regarding cardiac stents. During the hearing Court was informed that the Drug DRAP did not approve the stents approved by the National Interventional Cardiology Board (NICB), therefore, Substandard stents are being administered to the patients instead of the NICB approved ones. As a matter of fact, today our leadership had plunged the country into a deep swamp because of non-seriousness, elusion from honoring and implementing rule of law in the country due to which each and every aspect of our national life is completely flopped and in declining condition. Being a resident of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, we daily witness countless Doctors displaying their billboards claiming to be Cardiologist and practicing in our cities but now we have learnt that most of them are fake or unauthorized Doctor endangering the lives of innocent people. As per reports, most of medicines, lifesaving drugs and very sensitive healthcare equipment such as stents and lenses are substandard and being used in the country blatantly. This is the clear failure of the government and its regulatory departments such as DRAPs, NIH, NICB, who were completely silent over the issue and the fact revealed through the court. The Court must take strict action against governmental regulatory bodies for not fulfilling their duties. The PTI government has tall claims regarding provision of Sehat card Plus to all citizens of the Country particularly in KP it is said that the facility had been extended to all Districts over last three months.
However, practically this project has no such existence in the settled District of KP like Abbottabad and Haripur. Public even the health department staff is unaware of Sehat Card Plus. As learnt, Government claims to provide free treatment to all those residents of the KP province having Chip bearing Smart NIC card only in specified District Headquarter Hospitals, whereas the Tehsil Headquarter Hospitals and BHUs have no such provisions. Still there is previous system and facilities in KP hospitals. Although PTI government started this initiative but there is lack of interest on the part of government and on ground no arrangements has been made for implementation of this tall claim.
In fact, the regulatory and Monitoring system of the Country is not working properly, corruption, issuance of fake licenses and practice permits to unqualified individuals is common. Health care became a business instead of a service to the humanity. There is need of strictest measures to curb malpractices in healthcare Sector to save the valuable lives of the public.
