GILGIT-Baltistan (GB) is known for its natural beauty and is considered one of the top tourist destinations globally. But, unfortunately, the region finds itself in the mainstream media only for its majestic mountain landscape, beautiful glaciers, natural lakes and lush green valleys, and rarely for the genuine issues faced by the masses living there.

One of the persistent issues being faced by the region is health and hygiene, which has gone from bad to worse in recent times. Besides, a lack of checks and balances on edible food items and the absence of a regional food authority has caused widespread gastroenterological problems for the local people.

Another major health hazard is the unacceptable quality of potable water. The Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) tested underground water quality in 28 cities and declared cent per cent underground water unsafe in three cities, including Gilgit; the other two cities being Mirpurkhas and Nawabshah.

Furthermore, GB’s population is increasing exponentially, but the health and hygiene facilities are worsening with each passing day. The lack of doctors in hospitals remains a long-standing issue, especially in the remote areas of the region where harsh weather and freezing temperature in winters cause health complications. This makes the availability of healthcare and doctors in those facilities all the more necessary.

Adding insult to injury, the region also faces a massive brain drain. Dozens of young students from all over GB make use of the regional quota every year to get admissions in different medical colleges across the country and are bound legally and morally to serve their regions upon completion of their degrees. However, after completing their degrees, they prefer to look for jobs in major cities or move abroad in search of greener pastures, leaving hospitals in their hometowns without qualified and trained doctors.

While the government makes do with the available resources to meet the deficiency of the doctors and uplift health facilities, it needs to take a few more steps and should approach this issue practically. First, the government needs to set up the Gilgit-Baltistan Food Authority to keep a check on the quality of edible food items.

Second, the government needs to expedite efforts for building a medical college, which has been in the pipeline for quite some time now, to address the issue of doctors’ shortage.

The government should also draw a proper mechanism to ensure that doctors, nominated from here on regional quota, must return to their stations upon the completion of their degrees. In case of violation, the government must communicate with the Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) to cancel their medical licence. Adopting these measures can help improve health and hygiene facilities in GB and bring the misery of the locals to an end.

Tanseer Kazmi
Gilgit

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2022