ISLAMABAD: Nasir Khan, a Rawalpindi resident and father of five, spends nearly 10pc of his salary on doctors’ consultation fees for his children, all ages between two and nine.

“I earn little and have many mouths to feed, so it becomes painful to pay consultation fees for doctors. But I am an educated person so I prefer to take my children to a doctor rather than asking a person sitting at a medical store for medicine. Pharmacists don’t sit at most medical stores, so it can be dangerous to let an uneducated or non-professional person decide my children’s fate,” he said.

Mr Khan added that he recently heard of a healthcare facility through which doctors can be reached over the phone, for free, to then listen to patients and suggest medicines.

The service, known as the Doctory Health Centre, has been introduced by health experts. The head of the facility, Ayaz Kiani, told Dawn that some 60pc of patients require counselling rather than medication in Pakistan, because of which efforts have been made over the years to provide people with the opportunity to have their problems heard.

He said half the population does not have reliable access to healthcare and many people travel from rural to urban areas for treatment. Most of them cannot afford to travel or meet other expenses, he said.

“People need to be provided the facility to receive information through phone calls. We have established a facility so people can get free information and be suggested over the counter medicines,” he said.

Mr Kiani, who holds a Master of Public Health from the United Kingdom, said that many people suffer from seasonal diseases but when they visit doctors they are prescribed unnecessary medicines.

He said anyone can contact the centre over the phone, and doctors present there will listen, counsel patients and their families. They will then suggest treatment or prescribe over the counter medicines, he said.

To a question, he said specialists in the fields of medicine, surgery, gynaecology, paediatrics, gastroenterology, cardiology and dermatology will be available and counselling will be free of cost.

“We have some dedicated doctors who are ready to work free of cost and there will be minor operational costs, but a large number of people would benefit by calling at phone number 0348-11-14-411. In the future, we will also include ENT, eye specialists, oncologists and even homeopathic doctors so people can receive guidance on treatment,” he said.

At a press conference in the capital last week, Mr Kiani said: “70pc of the Pakistani population living in rural and peri-urban areas travels to seek healthcare in urban centres where health facilities are concentrated. This leads to high travel and accommodation costs to get to health services. On average, they have to visit five different doctors before getting to the sixth correct one suitable for attending to their problem.”

He explained: “Even the urban populace, along with their rural and peri-urban counterparts, finds it equally difficult to reach the right doctor when needed. This is on the one side leading to unnecessary delays in treatment and costing much higher expenses, and on the other, creating a growing lack of trust in the health sector.”

Doctory’s CEO Maliha Khalid said that she believed that the timely and hassle-free provision of primary care is a fundamental right of every human being.

“Patients can call between 9am and 9pm Monday to Friday. Doctors on the other side of the line will provide necessary triage and counselling, treat minor ailments for free, and where necessary, connect patients directly to high quality but economic specialist health care without delay,” she said.

Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences media coordinator Dr Waseem Khawaja praised the initiative, saying it will allow people to seek medical advice without visiting hospitals and clinics.

“It will not only reduce their expenses but they will be able to get medical advice without any delay. However, I suggest that people with minor issues such as vomiting, diarrhoea, headaches etc should contact the helpline and those who suffer from chest pain or other major issues should see a doctor immediately,” he said.

“One should be aware that diseases cannot be properly diagnosed without a check-up, and if a patient’s disease persists he or she should go to the hospital immediately,” he added.

Published in Dawn, May 8th, 2019