| March, 11 2005 | Friday | 29 Muhharram 1426 |
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More cricket diplomacy
Banning corporal punishment
THE Sindh administration’s decision to establish management boards to govern government hospitals is a step in the right direction considering the shoddy state of public healthcare and medical services at most such hospitals. The first institution where this system will be introduced is Karachi’s Civil Hospital which will have a 100-member board, with representation from both the public and private sectors, to manage its affairs. A similar system of managing large, at times unwieldly, and often corruption-ridden public sector hospitals has been tried in Punjab, with generally positive results.
The hope should be that the constitution of the management boards indicates a desire on the part of the government to revive the state’s role in the health sector. In many cases, government hospitals have some of the best doctors, consultants and surgeons, but the general public is often deprived of their services because of the poor reputation these hospitals have acquired for patient care. Over-crowded, over-stretched and thoroughly neglected by the state, the hospitals are blamed for indifference and brusque dealings with the public. Low income people are forced to turn to small privately run hospitals and clinics, where they at least get prompt attention if not always proper medical treatment. The situation in the district towns and rural areas is, of course, even worse. The overall picture is one of government hospitals being managed inefficiently and unprofessionally, with no accountability of the staff, and little adherence to any standards of quality or medical ethics. Even a casual visit to the Civil Hospital in Karachi, for instance, or the Mayo in Lahore will reveal a chaotic scene.
The issue is really one of quality and reliability of the service one gets at a hospital that is meant to cater to ordinary people who cannot afford the high costs of the better private hospitals. The idea of a management board comes in as a possible remedy for the state of public hospitals, because better monitoring and supervision - and community involvement - could improve the healthcare and treatment government hospitals provide to their patients. The proposed board would be expected to enforce better discipline and make staff accountable. Representation on the board should come mostly from people who are either doctors or have some knowledge of the problems of public health in Pakistan and who have a demonstrated commitment to improving the quality of medical services in the country. Most of our government hospitals have experienced doctors and medical specialists whose talents and energies should be harnessed by co-opting them on the planned management boards. The suggestion to have community representation is also welcome since it will help bring in much-needed checks on the staff and help curtail the corruption that is ever-present in government hospitals in the form of pilferage of medicines, misuse of medical equipment and so on. More, it should provide the public with a stake in looking after hospitals in their area. However, in all of this, one thing will have to kept in mind: that the introduction of private sector involvement in an institution’s management does not drive up the cost of medical treatment. And the most important thing is that the government must realize the state’s own duty in providing at least a minimum level of healthcare to the citizen.
IT GOES to the credit of Pakistan that it sent out the first feeler regarding a possible Musharraf visit for one of the cricket matches with India. The president had dropped a broad hint that he might want to watch one of the games in the current series. Even if caught off guard, India has responded in a positive manner, and extended a more or less formal invitation to General Musharraf, saying Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would welcome a visit by the Pakistani leader. If this comes off, it will not solve Kashmir or Baglihar, but it will add to the swell of goodwill and friendship of which the resumption of Indo-Pakistan cricketing ties itself is a manifestation. Any little bit that chips away at encrusted attitudes and creates a more congenial atmosphere to take up the knottier issues bedevilling the relationship between the two countries is welcome. This is what confidence-building measures are all about. Two of the most notable ones in recent days are the agreement on a bus service between Muzaffarabad and Srinagar and the understanding apparently reached on an energy corridor for the Iran-India gas pipeline through Pakistan.
In 1987, the then military ruler, Gen Ziaul Haq, had undertaken his surprise “cricket diplomacy” to India and had a meeting with the then Indian prime minister, Mr Rajiv Gandhi. This had led to a de-escalation in tension created by the massing of troops on the borders in the wake of the Indian “Brass Tacks” military exercise. The present Indian External Affairs Minister, Mr Natwar Singh, had then held the same portfolio under Mr Gandhi. He should realize more than anyone else that we have to move beyond sporadic high-profile gestures, however symbolically useful they may be, and seek to put ties between the two countries on a more sustainable basis. There may be no quick and spectacular progress, but at least we should try to end the cycle of confrontation and sabre-rattling followed by feeble attempts at reconciliation. Despite the progress made on the “peace front”, the leaderships in India and Pakistan have yet to prove that they have had a convincing change of heart.
YET another incident of harsh corporal punishment being administered to a child was reported on Thursday. Six-year-old Mohammed Ashar, a student of a private school in Karachi, received serious injuries to his back when he was beaten with a hard, blunt object allegedly by his principal. Earlier in the day, the latter had reportedly slapped the child for walking home, instead of taking the school transport. It is important for the education authorities to investigate the matter and bring the guilty to book - not only for flouting the provincial ban on corporal punishment, but also for indulging in an act of utter barbarity aimed at breaking the child’s spirit. It is a wonder that instead of protecting the vulnerability and innocence of our children, schools — more particularly the madressahs where religious instructors inflict serious harm on the minds and bodies of the students — often resort to physical punishment in order to discipline the child.
Studies show how painful and degrading punishments can be for young victims, many of whom grow up to become violent adults with diminished intellectual abilities. While lacking confidence in themselves, they see nothing wrong in resorting to aggressive acts against those reluctant to resist them. What such acts and tendencies do to the psyche of a nation can well be imagined. Provincial bans on corporal punishment, while indicating the seriousness of the matter and the government’s resolve to tackle the problem, are not enough. Apart from a public debate, there must be comprehensive legislation on the subject, and parliament, which includes members affiliated with madressahs known to be abusing children in a variety of ways, would be well advised to take up the
issue. As it is, given the widespread poverty and deprivation in the country, our children are denied several rights. To further expose them to this sort of cruelty and harshness is an ultimate form of apathy.