ALTHOUGH Azad Kashmir has a network of hospitals, these are poorly managed. For surgeries, patients are referred to hospitals in Rawalpindi. Recently, I saw an eight-year-old, who suffered from blood cancer, succumb to the disease at the CMH, Rawalpinid after fighting the illness for three months.

The daily expenses of the child’s family were great as, besides buying medicines and admission expenses, the poor family had to buy blood on a daily basis. Although, there is some system to compensate patients through the Zakat fund, those are reimbursed after the treatment. The prime minister should establish ‘facilitation centres’ for fatal diseases like cancer and kidney dialysis in major hospitals of Pakistan on government panels.

The share of the government money should quickly facilitate the monetary process and give relief to the victims. Critical cancer patients may also be considered for treatment abroad on the recommendations of the medical board at state expense. Financial hurdles in this case may not be valid as every year the government of Pakistan pumps billions of rupees into the kitty of the AJK government to meet the budget deficit.

Maj (r) Mahmood Abbasi

Ghaziabad, Azad Kashmir

Published in Dawn September 1st, 2016