Pakistani health care system faces numerous weaknesses and challenges. The following are some of the major challenges:
Lack of Resources:
Because of the weak infrastructure of the Basic Health Units (BHUs) and Rural Health Centers (RHCs), the majority of people are unwilling to use the public health system’s healthcare services, and as a result, rural people are diverted to tertiary care facilities. It has been discovered that the public sector in Pakistan is underutilized due to a lack of human resources, lack of health education, lack of openness, and impediments due to linguistic and cultural differences. For many people, attending BHUs is a nightmare because of the aforementioned concerns.
Poor Infrastructure:
Poor healthcare infrastructure is one of the reasons for the downfall of the healthcare system in Pakistan. There is no proper policy-making and planning in this department. This leads to inadequate healthcare facilities available to the citizens. A typical government hospital lacks sufficient doctors, nurses, and personnel. Because they serve a big population in the surrounding area, such hospitals are frequently overcrowded. They don’t have enough beds (due to an overabundance of patients).
Corruption:
Political and higher authority corruption is one of the reasons for the poor health sector in Pakistan. The resources are unavailable in hospitals and other healthcare centers due to corruption. The healthcare sector is prone to corruption because of an imbalance of information between health sector providers, uncertainty because of failure to predict the upcoming illness, poor functioning of the market, low salary, poor governance, lack of clearness and liability, less budget allocated to the health sector, no regulation of laws and policies, mismanagement, lack of supervision, lack of connection between pharmaceutical companies and health departments, etc.
Lack of Educated Health Specialists:
In the Health sector of Pakistan, there is still a lack of educated and professional individuals although a number of students are graduating each year. The main reason is the less availability of seats in the public sector which hinders educated people to come and serve the nation. Another reason for the lack of educated health specialists in Pakistan is many health specialists go abroad for higher education and work there. This is the major loss of the health sector of Pakistan.
High Prices of Imported Products:
Although Pakistan has the largest pharmaceutical industry, many medicines are needed to be imported from foreign countries. Similarly, many surgical and other health-related machinery is imported from other countries. This way, more budget is needed to fulfill the need for these imported products. But unfortunately, due to the lack of resources and increasing economic pressure, the health sector in Pakistan is unable to meet the need for these products that are necessary for the basic needs of citizens.
Lack of Awareness:
People living in urban areas are more privileged and have access to basic health facilities. Similarly, they are well aware of health issues. But the situation in rural areas is different. People in rural areas are not well aware of the vaccines, treatment, precautions, prevention, etc. of many health issues. This increases the pressure on the health sector of Pakistan. So it is the need of the hour to start educating people in rural areas and help them to get basic health facilities.
Lack of Access to Healthcare:
A significant portion of the population, particularly those living in rural areas, do not have access to basic healthcare services. This exacerbates existing health disparities and exacerbates health conditions.
Inadequate Financing:
The government’s spending on health as a proportion of the total budget is low, which limits the resources available to the health sector. This leads to inadequate financing for health services, including the inability to provide essential medicines and equipment to patients.
Weak Health Systems:
The health system in Pakistan is characterized by a weak health system, including inadequate surveillance, low quality of care, and limited public health interventions.
Shortage of Skilled Health Personnel:
There is a shortage of skilled health personnel, including doctors, nurses, and midwives, which limits the ability to provide essential health services to patients.
Social and Cultural Barriers:
Social and cultural barriers to healthcare, such as gender discrimination, poverty, and lack of awareness, can also contribute to the challenges faced by the health sector in Pakistan.
How can Health Sector in Pakistan be improved?
The main purpose of improving the healthcare sector in Pakistan is to improve life quality and to decrease the mortality rate in public. Pakistani government and private sectors should focus on these points to build a better health sector in Pakistan;
• Encouraging innovation and manufacturing (of medical devices) in Pakistan.
• Increased investment in medical research.
• Improving medical, nursing, and technical education, as well as skilling current workers
• Public health insurance
• Awareness programs
• Check and balance hospitals and other health departments to control corruption.
• International Collaboration can also be done.
Conclusion:
Pakistan is facing several economic and political challenges. And after 75 years of independence, Pakistan still has a poor health sector that has many challenges to face. From corruption to a lack of well-educated human power, Pakistan has to deal with various challenges. It is high time to implement a better health policy and start manufacturing medical devices within the country.
