Balochistan’s Health Crisis

Balochistan, particularly its capital Quetta has long suffered from a severely inadequate healthcare system. Despite being the largest province of Pakistan in terms of land area its medical infrastructure remains underdeveloped. The residents of Quetta face challenges ranging from expensive treatments to a lack of basic medical facilities forcing many patients to seek treatment in other cities like Karachi and Islamabad. This crisis is not just a matter of inconvenience but one that has been costing lives for years.

One of the biggest concerns in Quetta’s healthcare system is the unaffordability of medical treatment. The high costs associated with even minor procedures make healthcare inaccessible to a significant portion of the population. The government introduced health cards to alleviate some of these financial burdens their implementation remains ineffective due to bureaucratic hurdles, lack of awareness, and limited facilities where these cards are accepted As a result patients continue to struggle with costly medical bills pushing many families into financial crisis.

Another pressing issue is the lack of professional and well-trained doctors. Many hospitals and clinics in Quetta employ underqualified practitioners leading to misdiagnoses and improper treatments. The absence of advanced medical technology further worsens the situation For instance essential medical procedures such as dialysis, MRI scans and even minor surgeries are performed using outdated and often malfunctioning equipment Patients who require consistent and advanced medical care are left with no choice but to travel to other cities bearing additional costs for transportation and accommodation.

The unavailability of basic medical facilities is another critical concern. Hospitals frequently run out of essential medicines, and in many cases, patients are asked to arrange medicines and equipment on their own. The shortage of life-saving drugs and modern medical machines not only delays treatment but also leads to unnecessary suffering and deaths For patients suffering from chronic illnesses this situation is particularly dire.

A personal experience underscores this alarming state of healthcare in Quetta. My own uncle suffered from kidney failure five years ago requiring multiple dialysis procedures. He underwent regular dialysis at the Kidney Center in Quetta yet his condition continued to deteriorate. It was only when he sought treatment in Karachi that he realized the procedures in Quetta were either incomplete or ineffective due to outdated and poorly functioning dialysis machines. The doctors in Karachi confirmed that the treatments he received in Quetta were inadequate and failed to meet medical standards. Within days of undergoing dialysis in Karachi he felt significantly better highlighting the stark contrast in medical care between the two cities. Dialysis is a life-saving procedure for patients with kidney failure requiring them to undergo treatment once, twice, or even thrice a week to alleviate severe pain. In Quetta this crucial procedure is fraught with risks due to obsolete machines and insufficient medical expertise.

It is no surprise that patients in Quetta fear seeking medical attention even for minor ailments. The lack of trust in the local healthcare system has forced people to endure long and costly journeys for treatments that should be readily available in their own city. This reality not only burdens the patients but also reflects the government’s failure to prioritize healthcare in the region.

According to a report by UNICEF, Quetta city has 63 public health facilities serving a population of approximately 1.01 million, with 20% of Union Councils lacking any public health facilities.

A study highlighted that 88.8% of patients in Quetta found the cost of medicines to be high emphasizing the financial barriers to healthcare access. These statistics underscore the critical need for comprehensive healthcare reforms in the region.

Urgent reforms are necessary to address the healthcare crisis in Quetta, Balochistan. The government must prioritize upgrading hospitals with modern medical equipment and ensure the availability of essential medicines. Life-saving procedures like dialysis should be performed with state of the art machines and healthcare providers must be trained to handle a range of medical issues through better medical education programs. The health card system should be expanded effectively implemented and made more accessible by removing bureaucratic hurdles and increasing awareness. Hospitals in Quetta must maintain a reliable supply of essential medicines and equipment with streamlined distribution. The people of Quetta deserve competent medical care and affordable treatments and the government must take responsibility and act before more lives are lost due to neglect.

Hamza Nasir
The writer is a graduate of Economics from BUITEMS Quetta.