KHUDAYAR MOHLA

ISLAMABAD: Expressing grave concern over rampant medicine price hike in the country, the Supreme Court Thursday sought comprehensive report pertaining to current operational status of laboratories including detail of medical equipments in District Headquarter hospitals from the provincial and Islamabad law officers.

Resuming the hearing of a suo motu case relating to corruption in the Polyclinic hospital Islamabad, a two-member bench of Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan and Justice Tariq Pervez also issued directives to provincial law officers to provide data about lifesaving drugs’ stock and supply details to the district headquarters hospitals.

During the course of proceedings, Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan remarked that in most of the public sector hospitals, medical equipment like X-ray machines, ultrasound, CT scan are reported to be out of order, adding that medicines were not provided to the people, visiting the public sector hospitals whereas prices of lifesaving drugs have been increased manifold.

The bench categorically observed that government hospitals failed to provide lifesaving drugs to vulnerable segment of society of the country, adding that although doctor community serves humanity but they have also become money making machines.

Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan further said that often patients when they arrive at Tehsil hospitals, the doctors, without diagnosing the disease, send them to the District headquarters hospitals.

Dr Muhammad Rashid Rana informed the bench that currently Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Islamabad purchased an oxygen cylinder for Rs7500 whereas the same oxygen cylinder is being purchased by the Polyclinic hospital at Rs27,000 while the private hospitals use to purchase the same cylinder against a payment of Rs 3000.

The bench was also apprised that the administration of polyclinic hospital has violated the laws while entering into a contract for three years for purchasing the oxygen cylinders.

For which the court said in its short order issuing directives to the concerned authorities to submit a detailed report regarding price of oxygen cylinders, purchased by the public sector hospitals in Islamabad for the last three years.

The bench remarked that due to non-functional medical equipments in the public sector hospitals, poor patients were forced to conduct their medical test in private laboratories which charges heavy amount for the purpose.

Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan said that it is difficult for a poor person to get cure for flue and fever as medicines are not available at the pharmacies of the public hospitals.

Another member of the bench, Justice Tariq Pervez remarked that when private practice of the doctors was abolished in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, most of the senior doctors of public sector hospitals furnished their resignation, adding that

doctors have no concern over the miseries of people but medical practice is their priority.

Zulfiqar Abbas Naqvi, counsel for Dr Iftikhar Ahmed Naru, Executive Director Polyclinic hospital Islamabad submitted that his client was not the Executive Director of the hospital when the issue erupted. Naqvi pleaded that all the appeals filed in the current matter were motivated against his client.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had taken suo moto notice on the application of Dr Umar Lodhi, who alleged that Executive Director of Polyclinic hospital, Dr Iftikhar Ahmed Naru and his wife were partners in a company called Crescent Traders — an equipment supplier that the hospital has been using for the last five years.

Lodhi had submitted that the hospital management was also involved in the alleged misappropriation of medicines and oxygen gas kits, alleging that Dr Naru is a government servant and is doing business with the hospital by illegally awarding supply contracts to his own company.

The applicant had further said that the firm has also entered into contract to repair and maintain cooling equipment in the hospital. Lodhi had also urged the court to direct the authorities to initiate an inquiry into the issue with an audit of procuring medicines for the last five years.

Later, hearing of the matter was adjourned till August 12.