Numerous flaws exist in Pakistan’s health system, such as poor governance, restricted access to resources, a poor health information management system, corruption in the healthcare industry, a dearth of skilled workers, and poor governance. In Pakistan, the health sector continues to get a smaller amount of government financing than is acceptable. In addition, there is no national health insurance system. As a result, the right to ‘affordable healthcare’ will be pushed further into the future. With the increasing economic pressure and lack of resources, the healthcare system in Pakistan is deteriorating day by day. Although during the last decades, many improvements are made, there is a tremendous fatality rate in Pakistan among infants and women.
Since Pakistan’s independence, the advancement of the health sector has been impossible to overlook. There are many weaknesses and challenges which are currently faced by the Pakistani healthcare system. Here are some of the major challenges faced by the health sector of Pakistan;
1. Lack of resources
2. Poor infrastructure
3. Corruption
4. Lack of planning
5. Lack of Educated Health specialists
6. Lack of Public Health Insurance
7. Lack of Awareness
8. High prices of imported products
1. Lack of resources:
To the weak infrastructure of BHU’s and healthcare centers in Pakistan in rural areas i.e., RHCs a lot of people are unwilling to use public healthcare centers, as a result, these people living in rural areas are diverted to tertiary care facilities. Which has a problem of distance to health care centers as well as a lack of transportation with inadequate roads, limiting their access to these services. Furthermore, it has been discovered that the public sectors in Pakistan are underutilized due to a lack of human resources, a lack of health education, a lack of openness, and impediments due to linguistic and cultural differences.
2. 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).
Hospitals are filthy and unhygienic, they lack security, and patient care is unheard of, medicines and consumables are frequently in low supply, employees may be unscrupulous and demand bribes from patients, and they may even lack essential utilities such as a continuous supply of water, power, and fuel. Because of breakdowns or corruption, their ambulances may be unavailable, leaving patients to fend for themselves.
3. 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.
4. 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 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.
5. Lack of Planning:
Effective planning in healthcare management can help create clarity and improve communication. Your strategic plan should address the key issues, your organization’s vision and goals, and steps to get there. Your employees and stakeholders will have improved confidence and faith in your organization.
6. 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, preventions, etc. for 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.
7. High prices of imported products:
Although Pakistan has the largest pharmaceutical industry, many medicines need to be imported from foreign countries. Similarly, many surgical and other health-related machinery is imported from other countries. In this way, more budget is needed to fulfill the need for these imported products. But unfortunately, due to the lack of resources and increasing economical pressure, the Health sector in Pakistan is unable to meet the need for these products that are necessary for the basic needs of citizens.
8. Lack of Public health Insurance:
When public health systems fail, people are forced to seek treatment from private healthcare providers. Profit is the goal of private healthcare facilities. There is an obvious demand-supply imbalance, and they take advantage of the low supply to boost their own pricing. As a result, medical treatment in a private hospital may be significantly more expensive than in a government hospital. However, because a major part of our population lacks health insurance, they are obliged to pay for their own treatment. As a result, many people are unable to afford healthcare.
How can Healthcare system be Improved:
The main purpose of improving the healthcare sector in Pakistan is to improve life quality and to decrease the mortality rate in the public. Pakistani government and private sectors should focus on these points to build a better health sector in Pakistan;
• Encouraging manufacturing of medical devices in Pakistan.
• Increasing the investment in medical research in Pakistan.
• Public Health insurance.
• Initiating Awareness programs.
• Check and balance the hospitals and other health care departments.
• Control corruption in the Health system.
• International collaboration can be also done.
• Improving technical education and upskilling current workers.
