Punjab’s Healthcare Battle Against Emerging Threats

M Sohaib Khalid

Lahore: Over the years, Punjab, the country’s most populous province with over 127.4 million inhabitants, has encountered with enormous challenges in the healthcare sector.

Despite the province’s large number of healthcare facilities, including tehsil-and-district-level hospitals, the existing infrastructure falls short of servicing the rising healthcare needs of a growing population.

In this regard, health experts have brought to light a number of difficulties with the province’s healthcare sector. Medical supply, staff, and equipment shortages have impacted ordinary people.

They have also emphasised government initiatives to address the problems and improve the quality of healthcare services.

Dr Asif Kaleem Sheikh, former President of the Pakistan Paediatricians Association (PPA) Punjab, said that with 542 beds available for every one million people in Punjab, public sector hospitals are often overcrowded, forcing two patients to share a single bed.

According to Dr Asif, patients frequently seek medical attention after their diseases have deteriorated significantly, resulting in consequences that may have been averted with early intervention.

“Delays in surgical procedures have become distressingly common in Punjab’s hospitals due to the unavailability of basic facilities,” he stated.

A daily influx of 4,000 to 5,000 patients in government hospitals and clinics:P&SHD

It is here that the Punjab Department of Primary and Secondary Healthcare (P&SHD) reports a daily influx of 4,000 to 5,000 patients in government hospitals and clinics, overwhelming the already limited capacity.

Despite a 25 percent increase in population over the past 12 years, hospital network expansion has been only 18 percent. This shortage, along with limited government financing, caused patient care to be delayed.

Dr Salman Kazmi, General Secretary of the Pakistan Young Doctors Association, emphasizes the negative impact of financing constraints on healthcare quality. Lack of finances causes a shortage of critical medical supplies, medicines, and equipment, jeopardizing the quality of healthcare provided by government hospitals.

Patients, he says, often bear the brunt of these inadequacies, with prolonged treatment delays and suboptimal care.

Despite these challenges, Punjab’s caretaker provincial government has expressed its commitment to improving the healthcare sector. Caretaker Chief Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi personally supervises hospitals to ensure their needs are met.

Ali Jan Khan, the provincial health secretary, said, “Both dedicated departments, the Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department and the Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department, are actively working on various aspects of healthcare management and enhancement.”

He stated that efforts to improve the healthcare sector include hospital grading, increased doctor recruiting, and expanding the scope of social security hospitals to relieve the burden on public sector hospitals.

“Plans are also underway to establish 22 additional social security hospitals, relocate existing hospitals to more suitable facilities, and equip major hospitals with state-of-the-art biomedical machines and medical equipment,” Ali Jan explained.

Major teaching hospitals in Punjab are set to offer a range of essential medicines, and health councils will be established to monitor service provision closely:Ali Jan Khan

“In addition, major teaching hospitals in Punjab are set to offer a range of essential medicines, and health councils will be established to monitor service provision closely,” he added.

Dr Izhar Chaudhry, former President of the Pakistan Medical Association, said, “Punjab faces multifaceted challenges that have created a complex web of issues affecting both the availability and quality of healthcare services.”

To address these challenges effectively, he said it was critical to identify the root causes. He added that the province has had a significant population rise over the years, and this growth has strained existing healthcare facilities, making it difficult to cater to the needs.

Dr Izhar said, “Public sector hospitals are overcrowded, with patients often sharing beds due to the limited number of available resources, and this overcrowding not only compromises patient comfort but also increases the risk of cross-infections.”

“Patients frequently seek medical attention only when their conditions have deteriorated significantly,” he added.

“This delay in seeking care leads to more complex and expensive treatments, putting additional strain on the healthcare system,” PMA’s former President stated.

“The government of Punjab has recognised these challenges and is actively working to address them,” said Dr Tariq Shaheen, Assistant Professor at Jinnah Hospital.

He said that the current hospitals were being upgraded to provide better facilities and services to patients, including infrastructure expansion and new modern medical equipment.

The government plans to establish 22 additional social security hospitals that will expand the capacity to serve patients, particularly in underserved areas: Dr Tariq

According to Dr Tariq, Health Minister Dr Javed Akram recently announced “a plan to establish 22 additional social security hospitals that will expand the capacity to serve patients, particularly in underserved areas.”

“Major hospitals in Punjab are set to receive advanced biomedical machines and medical equipment to enhance diagnostic and treatment capabilities,” he added.

Dr Shaheen stated, “According to the government plan, teaching hospitals will provide essential medicines, and health councils will be established to monitor and improve service provision.”

Unchecked population growth and a lack of family planning in Punjab, or any other province of Pakistan, might have serious consequences.

To address these implications, Punjab authorities and healthcare providers must collaborate to invest in healthcare infrastructure, develop the healthcare workforce, strengthen public health initiatives, and adopt innovative solutions to meet the rising population’s healthcare needs.

To successfully tackle increasing health hazards, long-term planning and sustainable solutions are required to ensure that healthcare remains accessible and of good quality for all the residents in the face of population growth.

M Sohaib Khalid is a Lahore-based APP correspondent, and the feature is released by APP.

Edited by Shazia Mehboob