Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Karachi spokesperson Fauzia Siddiqui today alleged that despite more than Rs2.5 trillion being spent on Sindh’s health sector over the past 18 years, government-run hospitals continue to lack basic healthcare facilities.
In a statement, Ms Siddiqui said that the allocation of Rs393 billion for the provincial health sector would only be meaningful if the public witnessed tangible improvements in healthcare services. She urged the Sindh government to explain how the funds allocated for the health sector had been utilised over the years.
She called on Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah to provide a detailed account of public spending on healthcare, claiming that shortages of medicines, hospital beds, medical equipment and healthcare staff reflected what she described as administrative failure.
The PTI spokesperson criticised Provincial Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho, alleging that poor governance had left patients struggling to receive treatment while public hospitals continued to face shortages of anti-rabies vaccines and other essential medicines.
Ms Siddiqui claimed that between 15 and 16 people had lost their lives due to the unavailability of rabies vaccines, while hospitals continued to receive dog-bite victims on a daily basis. She questioned who would take responsibility for patients who allegedly died despite receiving vaccinations.
She further questioned why several public hospitals were being handed over to non-governmental organisations if billions of rupees had already been spent on the health sector. According to her, the provincial government was relying on statistics instead of addressing the underlying issues affecting healthcare delivery.
Referring to the rise in HIV/AIDS cases across Sindh, particularly in Larkana and other districts, Ms Siddiqui said that the growing number of infections reflected serious shortcomings in the province’s healthcare system and called for immediate emergency measures to contain the situation.
She maintained that providing free and quality healthcare was the government’s constitutional responsibility rather than a favour to the public. She added that the transparent utilisation of health funds would have ensured access to quality medical services for citizens across Sindh, while alleging that the provincial government had also failed to introduce an effective health card programme.
Ms Siddiqui also criticised Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, saying that the party frequently highlighted the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) as one of its achievements despite what she described as repeated allegations of corruption in major health projects, including the institute.
Concluding her statement, the PTI Karachi spokesperson said that depriving the people of Sindh of medical treatment, essential medicines and basic healthcare services was unacceptable. She added that the party would continue to raise its voice against what it termed the deterioration of the provincial healthcare system, administrative mismanagement and the growing HIV/AIDS crisis.
She demanded that the Sindh government present a comprehensive account of the provincial health budget and ensure the provision of improved, accessible and quality healthcare facilities for the people of the province.