No more “free health”: Gilgit-Baltistan govt hospitals to charge patients from 15th February
Our Correspondent
Gilgit, February 7: The Ministry of Health, Gilgit-Baltistan, has released a notification to announce charging of fees from patients at government hospitals across the region.
According to the notification, the government hospitals will charge 15 rupees per patient for OPD, 50 rupees for consulting a doctor, 150 for x-ray and 200 for conducting an ultrasound checkup of the body.
It is pertinent to note that government hospitals in the Punjab province charge 1 (one) rupee per patient as OPD charges.
The charging of fees is likely to put extra burden on already impoverished families across the region.
The GB government has been going through financial difficulties and retention of qualified doctors in the region has been a major problem mainly due to low salaries. Unable to increase the budget for health, the government has apparently moved to transfer the burden on the patients who are already suffering due to poor health facilities in the region.
This is going to be one of the most unpopular decisions of GB government. Raising the revenues by imposing user fees in the government healthcare facilities is least popular policy option that has badly failed across the developing countries. It deters the poor factions of the society from accessing and utilizing healthcare and thus it reduces any possibillty of substantial revenue gains.
The fundamental goal of government is to ensure an equitable distribution of healthcare across the region irrespective of the poeple,s socio-economic status. Majority of population in GB has a marginal socio-economic status and any extra financial burden in accessing healthcare will only push them further down the poverty spiral.
The GB government should have explored its various options before taking such a rackless decision.
It is the responsibility of every citizen to ignore dumb decisions.
—Thanks to the PPP Govt the last gift for the GB People—-SALUTE TO THE JIYALAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The government of GB should 1st concentrate on the health care system including better infrastructure, diagnostic facilities and qualified human resouce to deliver quality care to the people of the region.Mr.Yousuf Raza Gillani announced to establish medical college in GB and we can not witness any progress in this direction.Establishing an academic health institution is move forward toward quality health care system.I don’t think any one will pay for the current health care system and the people should resist the new proposal.
imposing health care fee would not be a good decision rather I would suggest GB Govt to dig out cases of corruption, ensure recovery of the looted money in all departments of Govt.
This is evidence of failure of GB government and Federal Govt. Support to GB. we have to raise our voice now for the water royalty from Punjab and Sindh and share of revenue from China trade and tourism. Further we will have to promote industry to mobilize our economy by ourselves without depending much on Pakistan as we have been doing for last 65 Years. I suggest we need to raise a voice in Islamabad “peaceful Ahtijaj” these opportunities will gradually make our other Pakistani Brothers Think………………….
This is not acceptable to the GB peoples.