The Pakistan Medical Association today strongly condemned the government’s failure to shield citizens from crippling economic conditions, which have worsened due to recent increases in petroleum prices. This hike has sparked widespread inflation, severely affecting the country’s poorest citizens.
The rising fuel prices have permeated every crucial sector, including healthcare and food, prompting pharmaceutical companies to raise the prices of essential medicines. This increase has made life-saving treatments unaffordable for many, rendering basic healthcare a luxury.
The government’s multiple tax policies on private healthcare facilities have further complicated access to medical services, making it increasingly difficult for low-income individuals to seek essential treatment. With operational costs soaring due to higher expenses on electricity, transportation, and equipment, private healthcare providers are forced to increase consultation and procedure fees.
Food prices have also reached unprecedented levels, influenced by the rising costs of transporting goods from rural farms to urban markets. The government’s provision of only 20 to 30 percent of medical services, attributed to poor management, deprives the majority of the population of adequate healthcare.
The PMA expressed deep regret over the growing divide between the government and the public. While state officials continue to live lavishly on public resources, ordinary citizens struggle to access even basic necessities.
For many, survival depends on borrowing or facing the grave threat of hunger, with no clear acknowledgment of their plight from the authorities. Ruthless economic pressure has reached a point where it fuels desperation, pushing some towards suicidal thoughts.
The PMA warned that the nation’s health is under siege, asserting that limited government healthcare provision and lack of access to the private sector essentially spell a death knell for the impoverished.
In response, the PMA is calling for an immediate reversal of the fuel price hike, along with a significant reduction in government extravagance. They urge the government to redirect these funds towards providing substantial subsidies on fuel and essential medicines, to alleviate the burden on the nation’s most vulnerable citizens.