THE exploitation of the Sehat Sahulat Programme in Punjab by the medical community is both alarming and disgraceful. Designed to provide crucial health services to the underprivileged, the scheme has, instead, been hijacked by money-grabbing elements within the healthcare sector. An example of this greed is the disproportionate number of caesarean sections carried out in private hospitals, ostensibly for financial gain rather than medical necessity. From 2016 to January 2024, a staggering Rs16.36bn was claimed by private hospitals for caesarean and normal delivery procedures, with an overwhelming majority being C-sections. The stark disparity in the number of C-sections performed in private versus public hospitals is telling. In 2023, private hospitals conducted 197,376 caesarean procedures, compared to 97,390 in public hospitals. The years before saw similarly disproportionate figures, underscoring a concerning tilt towards unnecessary C-sections after the launch of the health card scheme in 2016.

Unfortunately, this is not an isolated case. It echoes a past scandal under the same programme, where the Punjab Institute of Cardiology was found redirecting patients to private facilities, compromising patient care for monetary benefits. In other incidents, cardiac patients were administered expired stents and several diabetic patients’ vision was compromised after they were treated with substandard injections. These scandals highlight a systemic rot within Punjab’s healthcare system, characterised by negligence, corruption, and poor accountability. Addressing these challenges demands more than ad hoc interventions; it requires a systemic overhaul to instil ethical practices and accountability in healthcare. The onus is on the government to undertake rigorous measures. An independent probe is required to ascertain why so many women underwent C-sections and whether they were even needed. To address graft, stringent oversight mechanisms must be instituted, besides comprehensive audits of healthcare programmes, and severe penalties for those found exploiting such initiatives for personal gain. It is crucial to ensure that such egregious abuses of trust do not recur.

Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2024