ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court of Pakistan Tuesday observed that no work has been done by the Khyber Pakhtunkhawa (KP) government in the health sector as the public hospitals neither have X-ray machines functional nor there is oxygen system.
A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Gulzar Ahmed conducted hearing of the suo moto notice on the increase of breast cancer cases in the country. The bench directed the federal and the provincial health secretaries to submit reports on measures taken for the treatment of breast cancer in the public hospitals. During the hearing, Justice Gulzar questioned that where billions of rupees in KP are being spent? He added that the recruitment in the KP public hospitals, from top to bottom, were made on recommendations.
Advocate General (AG) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Shamail Butt informed that the KP government has allocated Rs3 billion for purchase of machinery and the treatment of breast cancer and the PC-I of project has been prepared.
The Chief Justice remarked that the KP government only prepares PC-I of the projects but there is no further progress on them.
Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel said that the real issue is of human resources, as the government purchases millions of rupees worth machines, but there is no one to operate them. He also said that people would die by the time hospitals would be constructed. He stated there is no oncologist in Balochistan.
Shamail Butt informed that the KP government has started issuing health cards to its people for better medical facilities. He said that under the health cards programme each registered person could avail medical facility upto Rs1 million.
Justice Gulzar remarked that the government might have allocated Rs5 to Rs6 billion but that would go into the pockets of the officials. The advocate general said that the government came into action when the apex court took notice of rising breast cancer cases.
Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar inquired about the mechanism for issuance of the health cards. The AG KP then briefed the bench about the procedure.
Justice Mandokhel inquired from additional advocate general Balochistan, “Where does the health budget of Balochistan go?” He said that to date no open heart surgery has been performed in Balochistan. The health secretary Balochistan was ordered to appear before the Court on the next date.
Later, the bench adjourned the hearing of the case for one week.