LAHORE: Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said the private sector healthcare system stands exposed during the novel coronavirus pandemic across the world and Pakistan needs to rebuild its health infrastructure.

“The private health system has been exposed by the corona crisis throughout the world and we will have to rebuild the health infrastructure after learning lessons from the present weaknesses,” he said during a video-link meeting with health professionals from Punjab on Wednesday.

He argued that the healthcare facilities must not be profit-oriented and should be free for all those in need of such care.

Referring to the Covid-19 situation in the country, he lamented that the federal government sabotaged the lockdown which was initially implemented effectively.

Representatives of doctors and nurses from Punjab informed PPP chairman about the “shortcomings” in the Punjab government’s policy regarding the pandemic. Their grievances included hiring of health professional on daily wages, non-provision of personal protective equipment (PPE), setting up isolation wards in rundown buildings of hospitals, consulting bureaucrats instead of health experts in devising policies, and targeting those raising their voice against what they called wrong steps of Punjab government.

They also alleged that coronavirus test reports were being tampered with on the intervention of ministers and health professionals were being denied screening for the virus.

They said it was alarming that “most of the doctors and nurses who were infected by coronavirus were performing duties in gyne and general wards”.

Mr Bhutto asserted that the professionals fighting the virus on front line needed to be offered facilities and medals for their services like soldiers in the battlefield.

He said the federal government should extend allout help, including funds, to Punjab for tackling the disease and regularising services of all daily wager and contractual doctors and nurses.

He said family members of those who laid their lives in the fight against coronavirus should be given government jobs.

Published in Dawn, May 7th, 2020