I want to share with readers my recent experience of a visit to Jinnah Hospital, Lahore. My daughter was having fever for the last two days. I went to Jinnah Hospital emergency which was jam-packed. There was no bed available. I tried to get the attention of a junior lady doctor and introduced myself as a pharmacist. But pharmacist is not a big shot in this country. A doctor paid heed to me and asked to share bed with another patient. I told the doctor that patient had got pyrexia of unknown origin (PUO) and she needed medical investigation to rule out malaria, dengue and typhoid, etc. I was shocked to know that there was no arrangement for testing for typhoid and malarial parasite except partial complete blood count (CBC) in the emergency.

I could hardly get her tested for CBC and left to get treatment from a private hospital. Emergency is the mirror of any hospital’s health facilities. Jinnah Hospital’s emergency was pathetic and a picture of gross mismanagement. There was no senior doctor available. There was no arrangement to determine serious patient and stable patients. There was a sense of mistrust and everybody was asking to bring patient’s chart for issuance of medicine and blood tests which was sheer waste of time. There is a need to depute more senior doctors and beds for emergency patients in public sector hospitals. All patients are entitled to best treatment which is an uphill task in public sector hospitals. Our ruling class always gets treatment from abroad for even minor ailments. Miseries and problems of a common man are not their problems. I wish some day the Punjab chief minister visits any of these hospital emergency wards in disguise and gets first-hand knowledge of people’s problems.
FAROOQ BASHIR BUTT,
Lahore, May 23.