The recent deaths of heart patients have showed the dependence of the provincial government’s health apparatus on one person, turning it into a ‘one-man-show’.
The pattern that the recent calamity has formed is quite similar to the one observed during the unprecedented dengue epidemic last year, which had claimed hundreds of precious lives. The absence of institutional arrangement or negligence to check the expected epidemic last year was similar in many respects to the current disaster, which has claimed over 70 lives, with four deaths on Tuesday alone. The government lacks an efficient healthcare system which could find the root cause and fix the responsibility on anyone.
The relatives of many of the deceased heart patients protested outside the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC), demanding action against those responsible. “We have lost our dear ones with no fault of theirs…unfortunately they have succumbed to medicines and not the disease, which is one of a kind case in the world…so many days have passed and the government is yet to fix the responsibility or even find the root cause of the disease,” said Iftikhar, a relative of one of the deceased.
Many experts also question the efficacy of a healthcare system which needs the chief executive of the province to monitor all things and take decisions even on such serious matters that need immediate action.
They said that so many days have passed by and so many people have fallen prey to the disease but no one other than the chief minister could take the initiative for meaningful action.
“A decision like sending the drug samples to a laboratory, where it could be tested to find the root cause and fix the responsibility, should have been a part of the standard operation procedures done by a section officer. Unfortunately, the entire provincial administration, including senior professors, top bureaucrats and the CM met only to decide that the drugs would be sent abroad for testing as the requisite facilities were not available at home,” a senior professor revealed on the condition of anonymity.
Many other experts also pointed out the absence of a provincial health minister despite the incidence of several calamities in the province over the years. They said that the absence of a provincial health minister, who could monitor things and take important decisions at once, added to the damage.
Speaking on the issue, Health Parliamentary Secretary Dr Saeed Elahi said that the chief minister had the health portfolio as well and monitors everything himself.
