The crocodiles of Peshawar
Asif Khan Turk
Majority of the private hospitals in Peshawar can be termed as ‘crocodiles’, as the Health Department Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has completely failed to control them by making accountable for their brutalities and exploitations, while the already ‘falling’ Health Care Commission’s worth is not more than a small creature that can easily come and be crushed under the foot of any crocodile.
Actually, the private healthcare sector in the city has become a breeding ground for exploitation and brutality, with the Health Department failing to regulate and hold the private hospitals accountable. The Health Care Commission, tasked with ensuring quality healthcare in the province, seems powerless against these ‘crocodiles’, leaving the ailing humanity at the mercy of these exploiters and looters.
The list of grievances against such private hospitals is extensive. Patients are subjected to exorbitant charges, subpar services, and inadequate and poor lab testing facilities. The state of wards, operation theaters, and intensive care units is often deplorable. Moreover, these hospitals exploit their employees as well, particularly those in lower-tier positions like security guards, sweepers, and ward boys, raising concerns about the Labor Department’s oversight.
The recent cases of negligence resulting in patient fatalities or harm have sparked outrage across the province. In some instances, the affected families have been compensated to silence them, highlighting the hospitals’ lack of accountability. These incidents have exposed the dark underbelly of Peshawar’s so-called private healthcare sector.
It can be very clearly said that the situation is highly alarming, with these hospitals prioritizing profits over people’s lives. They are not serving the humanity but rather perpetuating a system that values wealth over human life. Therefore, the KP government must take an immediate action to regulate them by ensuring accountability and protecting the citizens’ rights.
The Health Department and Labor Department must work together to address these issues, implementing strict regulations and oversight mechanisms to prevent further exploitation of the community. This includes regular inspections, transparent complaint mechanisms, and severe penalties for non-compliance.
Moreover, the provincial government should consider introducing policies to make the private healthcare more affordable, accessible and sustainable for all. This can include proper price control and subsidies for low-income patients.
To address the growing concerns of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa regarding healthcare, it is crucial for the high-ups to take responsibility for ensuring the public’s well-being at any cost, while the above mentioned situation is completely unacceptable and it needs a proper addressal mechanism to develop the private healthcare sector of the province, so it may serve the ailing humanity in an effective and sustainable way.
The writer is the Chief Editor of Sunrise Today. He can be reached at: asif1015@yahoo.com. He tweets on X at: @TheAsifKhanTurk.
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