Doctors reject health reforms as anti-poor

Published July 4, 2015
They said that the reforms were needed for the welfare of poor patients, but the legislation would lead to increase in miseries of people. ─ APP/File
They said that the reforms were needed for the welfare of poor patients, but the legislation would lead to increase in miseries of people. ─ APP/File

PESHAWAR: The doctors of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have rejected the Health Act 2015 and claimed that the current health reform process is against the interests of poor patients and health workers.

Speaking at a press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Friday, Provincial Doctors Association (PDA) president Dr Aamir Taj, joint secretary Dr Alamzeb and LHR unit president Dr Rizwan said that doctors were not against the reforms, but the new legislation would multiply hardships of the employees.

They said that the government was attempting to take the hospitals towards privatisation, which was a conspiracy against the poor patients who would be unable to get medical treatment.

They said that the reforms were needed for the welfare of poor patients, but the legislation would lead to increase in miseries of people.

The doctors said that the stakeholders were ignored in the process of legislation and reforms. They said that the government had been trying to apply a unilateral policy, but doctors would not accept it.

They said that they expected that the government would take some drastic steps in consultation with the stakeholders to bring a positive change in the fate of poor and for welfare of the employees of health department, but the ‘so-called’ reforms badly disappointed them. They said that the government failed to live up to its claim to take revolutionary steps for the welfare of poor people.

They demanded of PTI chief Imran Khan to take notice of the situation because such reforms would worsen the situation of health department. — Bureau Report

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2015

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