PESHAWAR: Frequent visits to hospitals by ministers and lawmakers have been causing difficulties to healthcare providers in performing their duty and providing medical services to patients, according to experts.

“Most of the ministers, MNA and MPAs are in the habit of visiting patients of their constituencies in hospitals, which not only disturb patient care but also spread terror among people as they are often accompanied by gun-wielding security staff,” a senior consultant at one of the medical teaching institutions told Dawn.

He said that most of the visiting politicians were always in aggressive mode. He said that they used harsh language while talking to hospital staffers to impress their electorates but in the process, they demoralised doctors, nurses and paramedics.

“Not only lawmakers but also even councillors go to hospitals without caring for protocols. They go to intensive and cardiac care units and accidents and emergency departments where they cause more problems to patients than benefit,” another consultant told this scribe.

Administrators of hospitals asked to report such incidents to health dept

He said that recently a ward at one of the MTIs was closed down due to high rate of infection among patients and the reason was such carelessness showed by politicians at the helm of affairs.

“There should be a protocol and they should inform hospitals about their visits so they could be facilitated properly. As things go, they don’t intimate the respective administrations about their visits and come suddenly which disrupts patient care,” he said.

According to him, making pictures have become favourite subject of such politicians that are uploaded on social media platforms to send a message across that they are more concerned about their voters.

“Interestingly, consent of patients or hospital staff is not sought for taking and putting up their images on internet. It is against medical ethics,” he said.

The health expert said that majority of female patients, doctors and nurses did not want their pictures to be viewed by people but those had become a modus operandi of leaders visiting health facilities.

A senior health administrator said that in developed countries, no one was allowed to go inside hospitals as such visits were illegal and strictly prohibited. “However, in our settings, politicians, especially those in government, continue to flaunt rules and make pictures and talk to patients without caring for their confidentiality,” he added.

He said that as per medical ethics, doctors sought consent of patients if their medical histories were taken for research purposes. “No research paper is accepted by any journal if patients’ consent is not sought for the purpose” he added.

A public relation officer at one of the MTIs said that many times ministers and lawmakers arrived at hospitals without prior information that affected patient care. “Most of the staff from professor to Class-IV employees remains busy when these people remain in wards to take care of them and patient care takes back seat,” he said.

He said that in case of mass emergencies, such as bomb blasts or suicide attacks, the situation became worst when scores of ministers and lawmakers thronged hospitals and health professionals, who were supposed to be part of lifesaving procedures of the wounded people, indulged in giving protocols to them.

Health Minister Ihtesham Ali told Dawn that nobody was allowed to visit hospitals with weapons to disrupt healthcare. “I will check and hospitals’ administrators should report such incidents to health department. Each hospital has its own security,” he said.

He said that all elected representatives and ministers must adhere to law and avoid visiting hospitals. “I will take strict action against those hampering patient care,” he said.

Published in Dawn, October 8th, 2024