DURING his surprise visit to the Bahawal Victoria Hospital (BVH) the other day, the Punjab minister for health Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal was witness to the poor performance of the hospital’s various departments and the sufferings of patients.

According to reports, the minister accompanied by the director-general, Health, Punjab, was disappointed to see the arrangements made for the patients. He went round the emergency, cardiology and surgical wards and the dispensary. The patients and their attendants piled up complaints regarding non-availability of medicines in the hospital due to which they had to buy these in the open market. The patients also accused the doctors and nurses of negligence.

The minister took note of the alleged irregularities and malpractices in the recovery and entry of ‘parchi’ fee and medicines at the emergency ward. Reports claimed that the minister was annoyed to listen to the patients’ difficulties. He said that the chief minister was making efforts to improve the health facilities for the people while the BVH administration was out to wipe out all his endeavors for the betterment of health cover in the province.

The BVH affairs are on the decline and the need for improvement is growing day by day. In the past, on the report of a vigilance team, many key officials were placed under suspension. But even the change of administration made no difference.

Earlier, the dissolution of BVH’s Board of Management (BoM) three months before the expiry of its term adversely affected the working of the hospital. In addition, the running of leased-out pharmacies within the hospital premises during the past months, their involvement in the sale of medicines from the hospital’s stores, complaints of sale of substandard medicines by them and their sealing by the health department on public complaint were issues which should have been investigated thoroughly to expose the culprits.

In the circumstances, surprise inspections by high-ups could not improve the situation. The government functionaries should therefore take some positive steps to improve the hospital’s working and help the patients to get their problems solved.