IN Pakistan, the Constitution makes it an obligation for the state to provide basic health care to the citizenry. However, the focus remains on providing clinical or curative treatment without giving much attention to other sectors of the health care industry e.g. preventive, rehabilitative and palliative care.

The flaws in health care policies structure can better be envisaged by having a brief retrospective view of the health tragedies brought to light by the media.

Deaths of hundreds of patients in various health tragedies like that of PIC-drug related deaths, TYNO syrup-related deaths and Gujranwala health incident are some to mention here.

Various surveys and researches, conducted over the past many years, conclusively highlight two main areas: lack of coordination between research institutions and the health care industry, and, second, absence of a drug monitoring system in Pakistan.

Without identifying vulnerable areas and filling them with the latest research input, the contemporary health care structure cannot deliver. Similarly, in the absence of a centralised drug monitoring system, drug-related deaths are inevitable.

Whenever authorities witness any health emergency in the form of post-flood contagious outbreak, dengue or cholera, billions are spent to save face under public pressure. Political insensitivities and misplaced priorities are clearly visible.

As provinces are going to have local bodies elections, districts must be allowed to have a share in health policy making. A top-down approach has been tried, now it’s the time for a bottom-up methodology.

Dr. Zaib Ali Shaheryar
Lahore