The healthcare system is constantly declining due to the lack of resources and increasing economic pressure. Despite the many improvements made in Pakistan over the past decades, infants and pregnant women still die at a high rate. Let’s discuss some issues to understand Pakistan’s health sector’s challenges.
Transparency International’s surveys show that health care is one of Pakistan’s most corrupt sectors. General polls also reveal that Pakistanis are generally dissatisfied with the quality of health services.
The health system has many flaws. These include poor governance, lack of access, unequal distribution, corruption, poor quality Health Information Management System (HIMS), lack of monitoring, lack of health policy, lack of health planning, and lack of trained professionals.
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What are the significant challenges facing Pakistan’s health sector?
The health sector in Pakistan has seen rapid growth since its independence. The Pakistani healthcare sector is currently facing many challenges and weaknesses. Here are the main challenges facing Pakistan’s health sector.
Insufficient Resources
The lack of infrastructure in Basic Health Units and Rural Health Centers means that rural residents cannot access the healthcare the public system provides. As a result, they are diverted into tertiary facilities. In addition, the lack of transport options and poor roads limit rural people’s access to healthcare services. In addition, Pakistan’s public sector needs to be more utilized due to a lack of resources, health education, and openness. Attending BHUs can be a nightmare for many people because of these concerns.
Poor Infrastructure:
The poor infrastructure of the healthcare system in Pakistan is one of its leading causes. This department needs proper planning and policy-making. The citizens need more healthcare facilities. In a typical government hospital, there needs to be more doctors, nurses, and staff. These hospitals are often overcrowded because they serve a large population. There needs to be more beds in the hospital (due to an excess of patients).
Employees may be untrustworthy and ask patients for bribes, or they may demand bribes. They may also need more essential utilities like water, electricity, fuel, etc. Ambulances can be unavailable due to breakdowns or corruption. Patients are left on their own.
Corruption:
The poor health sector of Pakistan is a result of corruption in the higher authorities and political parties. Due to sin, resources are not available in hospitals and healthcare centers.
There is a shortage of health specialists who are educated:
There is a need for more professionals and educated individuals in Pakistan’s Health Sector, even though many students graduate each year. Fewer seats are available in the public sector, which is the main reason for the need for more educated individuals to serve the country.
Many health professionals go to higher education abroad and work in other countries. The health sector in Pakistan has suffered a significant loss.
Public Health Insurance is Not Available:
Private health care is often the only option for people unable to access public health services. Private healthcare facilities are primarily focused on profit. They take advantage of a demand-supply imbalance and use it to increase their prices. Private hospitals may charge significantly higher fees for medical care than government hospitals. Many of the population do not have health insurance and are, therefore, forced to pay for treatment. Many people cannot afford to pay for healthcare.
High prices of imported products:
Pakistan is home to the largest pharmaceutical industry in the world, but it still needs to import many medicines from other countries. In the same way, many medical and surgical equipment is imported from abroad. More budget will be required to meet the demand for these imported products. Unfortunately, due to a lack of resources and increased economic pressure, the Health Sector in Pakistan cannot meet the demand for these products, which are essential to citizens’ basic needs.
Imported medicines are no exception.
Lack of awareness:
Urban dwellers are privileged, as they have better access to health care. They are also well-informed about health issues. The situation is different in rural areas. Rural people are less aware of vaccines, treatments, precautions, and preventions—many health issues. The pressure is increasing on the health sector in Pakistan. It is therefore necessary to educate the people in rural areas about the importance of primary health care and to help them get it.
How can the health sector in Pakistan be improved?
Improving the health sector in Pakistan has as its primary goal to enhance the quality of life for the public and decrease mortality rates. To improve the healthcare sector in Pakistan, both the government and private sector should concentrate on these areas.
