QUETTA: The Young Doctors Association (YDA) Balochistan on Saturday strongly rejected the government’s proposal to operate public hospitals in partnership with the private sector, vowing to resist any such move and stop the privatisation of healthcare facilities.

YDA spokesperson Dr Saboor Kakar criticised the government’s plan, warning that running hospitals under a public-private partnership (PPP) system would lead to further deterioration in the health sector.

He claimed the scheme was designed to foster nepotism, corruption and financial commissions, exacerbating economic difficulties for doctors and other healthcare employees while also negatively impacting the poor.

Say plan designed to foster nepotism and corruption

“The YDA Balochistan not only rejects this system but will also, in collaboration with all organisations in the health sector, develop a unified protest plan to uproot this corrupt system,” Dr Kakar said, adding that the medical community would resist the government’s move.

Dr Kakar also warned the public that the government was pursuing an anti-people policy. He alleged that Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti was “blindly following orders” from those “who brought him to power” and crossing all boundaries to enforce these directives.

The YDA spokesperson ref­e­rred to widespread reports of irregularities within the People’s Primary Healthcare Initiative, which operates under the PPP model.

“If the government intends to steer the health sector towards this corrupt system of commissions, the YDA Balochistan will not only block their way by all means but also announce a strong protest strategy involving the public and all health-related organisations,” Dr Kakar stated.

He cited the example of the Sheikh Zayed Institute of Cardiology, where he said patients were charged exorbitant fees while billions of rupees were allocated from the Balochistan government’s budget.

Dr Kakar also criticised the use of health cards to extort money, asserting that the YDA Balochistan would not allow this “heinous game” of privatisation under the guise of providing better facilities to the public.

Dr Kakar said the YDA Balochistan also wanted to issue a clear message to the PPP — CM Bugti’s party — that the double standard of offering free treatment to the people of Sindh while subjecting the people of Balochistan to humiliation and degradation would not be tolerated.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2024