There is life, then there is the world

Javed Ullah Raja
Doctors, hospitals, dispensaries, medical centers, health, and medicines cannot be denied. First there is the importance of hospitals, because hospitals are the only places where human life is saved and the needs are met. Along with the growing population of our country, hospitals and medical centers are not enough. Which are existing, do not have all the treatment facilities in an emergency. Patients are forced to turn to the big cities. No significant increase in the number of hospitals has been seen over the last several decades, while the population has increased manifold. The population of our country Pakistan is said to be 3% of the world’s population. The population of our country has almost doubled in the last few years and is likely to increase many times in the coming time. According to an estimate, in 1987, the population of our country was about 101 million, while in 2015, according to a careful estimate, the population of this country was 192 million. 40% of the country’s population lives in villages consists of about 88 million people. According to a report, the population of our country was 208 million in 2018 and today it is more than 220 million. According to the report issued by the Statistical Institute, the population of Pakistan has exceeded 22 crores, the country’s population is estimated to be 22 crores 4 lakhs 25 thousand 254. According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, by the end of the fiscal year 2019, there were a total of 132,227 beds in Pakistan’s hospitals spread across 1,282 government hospitals and dispensaries across the country. On average, there is one bed for every 1,580 patients in Pakistan. According to the data of the World Bank, 0.6/1000 beds are available in our country and this figure includes all our government, non-government, and all medical centers that are engaged in providing health facilities. Requirement with the World Bank is about 2.5/1000 beds. Since independence, the population of Pakistan has increased many times. At the time of independence, the population was 34 million. If we look at the statistics in this context, it is very difficult to provide basic health facilities to the people in this increasing spread of population. It has become necessary because it is increasing the difficulties day by day for the human being. Especially in the number of hospitals, no substantial increase has been seen in the last decades. Public hospitals are the most important, effective, and affordable means of providing facilities to the large population of the country. The indifference towards them is beyond comprehension. In addition to small towns and villages, the number of public hospitals and dispensaries in big cities is not enough to provide health facilities to the current population. As all essential medical facilities are not available and thus patients have to be transported hundreds of miles away to provincial capitals even in times of dire need. They have to wait for their turn all day. This is a painful and expensive process in case of an emergency. In such practice, there is often a delay in providing timely medical treatment to patients. And it has also been seen that many patients lose their lives in this way. It is very sad to say that the situation is the same at the district level of our country where all the facilities are not available. Providing first aid from these medical centers and sending them to big cities is like playing with human lives. It is a matter of thinking that it is not possible for every citizen to reach from remote areas of the country where the roads and means of transportation are limited, to the district places and then to the provincial cities. The number of patients is so high in big cities that getting appointment of the patient becomes a mystery. This situation is reported in cities, while most of our villages, which do not even have dispensaries, need attention. In this context, if we talk about our capital, where only one government and one public hospital started regular work in 1987. And thus, despite the lapse of more than 35 years, there is still only one public hospital and only one laboratory working in an unsettled population. While an increase in residential societies and villages the population in the vicinity of Islamabad has exceeded 50 kilometers. Along with the increase of time and population, where there is education and employment, there is the most health and its importance cannot be denied. Apart from this, in the current hospital of Islamabad, apart from Islamabad and the twin city, it has become a problem to accommodate a large number of patients from the surrounding and other cities, but also from the entire country, and to provide timely medical assistance. On the other hand, there is only one laboratory, which can be seen from all over the country where patients are brought or referred. Sometimes, those who bring patients with them have to stay in twin cities for many days. So, it is difficult in case of extreme need and emergency from hundreds of kilometers away. How can timely medical treatment be given? It is to be true that private hospitals, doctors, and treatment centers are beyond the reach of the common man. In the category of basic health facilities, it is also important that few hospitals in the country which were 963 in 2009 and now around 1280 how can provide medical facilities to the population of 22 cores. Their condition is also like that of not having doctors, medicines, beds, and facilities. Then in the previous Corona situation, the hospitals, the situation became even worse. The capacity to accommodate the patients has been exhausted. To provide medical facilities for the common man and to save precious lives is our moral duty; to take immediate steps are urgently needed in this direction. Focus on the opening new full fledge hospitals. In addition to giving where already some hospitals, dispensaries, and medical monitoring the institutions and improving their conditions should be our first priority. In this regard new building of hospitals along with all needs of treatments and all facilities will reduce the problems.