The Health system is among one of the many mistreated sectors of Pakistan, which can easily be noticed by knowing the total annual budget for the health sector proposed by every government till today.
Women’s health in Pakistan stands at a dismal 153rd place in the health and survival index. Only upper to neighboring Afghanistan in South Asia or Pakistan was ranked second last among eight countries in South Asia.
Pakistan’s Health Statistics
According to Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) 2006-7, the mortality rate among males was 276 deaths per 1000,000 live births.
Compared to the last year, 2020, Pakistan’s gender gap has increased by 0.7% in 2021. According to UNICEF statistics, 22.8 million children are out of school, among which 60 percent are girls and 40 percent are boys.
85000 Female Doctors are not working after getting medical education. Share on XI noticed this news somewhere last year, but again today, I read it in the column.
It’s not that important to discuss here as it’s not relevant to our topic though it’s a critical issue that needs to be discussed and inform you about this alarming condition. These 85000 females after studying at the expense of the government of Pakistan or you can say on the taxpayer’s money of poor Pakistanis.
There may be different and genuine reasons behind not working after completing their medical education. Still, these female doctors also ran in the competitive admission tests and examinations where they came in many poor and those who have a dream in the medical career.
But these 85000 snatched their dreams to the very initial phase of getting into medical universities.
They get their degree and sit down at home as proud doctors or Dr. ABC (MBBS BDS etc.) board on the door to show off, or I don’t know, maybe other reasons.
The leg-pulling custom or habit is something I noticed in many parts of the country. Where the person who is behind you or trying to keep you in a lower position than him tries everything like what the female doctors did, they snatch other’s opportunities, and at the same time, they never make it to the top.
The current federal budget of 2021-22 shows us an allocation of 21.72 billion Rupees for the health sector. Out of this budget, 13.7 billion will be used for the ongoing projects as we didn’t come out of this pandemic, so this issue needs more attention. 8.65 billion rupees allocated for new projects, 5.6 Billion rupees for the Sehat Sahulat Programme, and 713.652 million rupees allocated for up-gradation of rural health facilities and strengthening the health department.
Is Pakistan Serious About Environment?
With all these statistics and data in front of us, we can analyze that the current regime of Imran Khan is more serious about the health sector, or I can say he was forced because of the pandemic.
Whatever the reasons are, the point is that the Prime Minister Health Programme and initiations of the Insaf Sahulat card have a momentous praising received through the world. Pakistan’s health sector has been allocated by more budget vs. previous governments, amidst the economic turmoil and the pandemic.
The other thing to discuss here is the issues faced by health workers across the country. By forgetting the issue and disastrous conditions of the pandemic as huge data is available on those.
I am here to discuss another issue males and female workers face at the workplace or in society. In Pakistan, the profession of medical specialists to became a doctor; parents cut you from your childhood into such a manner that you can be a doctor. For that, parents release every facility at their disposal.
Then there is the continuous prayer for the child to become a doctor from home to the masjid and then to the malls of Dargas where you release your pockets lock.
The unavailability of female doctors in far-flung areas like GB and Balochistan, and interior Sindh, is very difficult for female patients to be treated for. If they didn’t visit the only available male doctor, then it’s a matter of life for them, and if they visit the doctors, many are raped and harassed.
A few months before, I heard somewhere that all same-gender doctors must check their same-gender patients, but I didn’t find a link anywhere. If you found such authenticated link, then please let me know.