PPP, medical bodies demand end to privatisation of healthcare facilities

PESHAWAR: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the representatives of medical organisations of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have demanded an end to the privatisation of healthcare facilities in the province and provision of automated coronavirus testing machines to medical staff. The demand was made through a joint resolution passed during a meeting presided over by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari through a video link and attended by the party office-bearers of KP and different health organisations of the province.

PPP provincial president Humayun Khan, general secretary Faisal Karim Kundi, secretary information Senator Rubina Khalid, Dr Nisar Khan and Dr Dawood, Young Doctors Association (YDA) President Dr Rizwan and General Secretary Dr Asfandyar Bhittani, Dr Faisal Barakzai, Dr Alamgir Yousafzai, Dr Rodar Shah, Kausar Niaz and Maryam Ambreen also participated in the meeting. Provincial Doctors Association KP President Dr Zubair, General Secretary Dr Alamgir and Dr Abdul Manan participated in the discussion through the video link.

Bilawal told the meeting that there can never be any compromise on protection of frontline workers and directed the PPP Coronavirus Relief Committee to provide protective kits to doctors in KP. He said that PPP opposed privatisation of hospitals in KP as well as across the country. He pointed out that the private healthcare system had failed worldwide after Covid-19 pandemic.

“Now it is the responsibility of the federation to help the provinces increase the testing of the coronavirus as it will have a negative impact on health sector if the doctors got infected in large numbers,” he added.

Bilawal said the lives of the people were more important than the economy under the concept of the welfare state. The meeting through a joint resolution unanimously demanded a full-time health minister for KP and martyrs package for medical personnel who died of coronavirus in KP.

It pointed out that there was zero level lockdown in KP from day one, adding that the lockdown should be implemented in letter and spirit instead of easing it. The resolution expressed concern that the PTI government was fighting doctors instead of fighting the coronavirus pandemic.

It said that KP Health Task Force chief Dr Nowsherawan Burki can’t be successful in his attempt to run the provincial health setup through Skype from the United States of America, demanding his immediate removal declaring him the root cause of deterioration of healthcare system.

The resolution demanded that 3000 nurses should be hired in KP to fill the gap and those already serving should be regularised while the doctors in KP should also be given risk allowance as was done by the Sindh government.