LAHORE: The state-run hospitals in Punjab are denying treatment to a large number of patients under the Universal Health Insurance (UHI) programme.

This situation seems to be an attempt to discredit the patient-friendly scheme either to defame the ruling party or undermine the rival political party which claimed to have launched this mega health project.

Official statistics show that the government hospitals of Punjab denied treatment to 90,691 patients out of total 127,341 in April last, leading to ‘Rs611 million estimated revenue loss in a month alone for not registering patients on UHI’.

Interestingly, both political parties -- PML-N and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf -- claimed to have launched first the large-scale health project (UHI) in Pakistan. The issue had sparked a heated debate for months on social media when the workers from both sides tried to take credit for the project.

Of 127,341 patients, 90,691 denied treatment in April across Punjab

Earlier, the policy was revised off and on during the last some months claiming that the UHI programme was misused to give benefit to the private sector hospitals and a specific number of doctors, putting a ban on the ‘absolute free treatment’ in the private health facilities for the poor and deserving patients.

According to the report, a large number of patients was denied delivery cases, including C sections and normal deliveries, and those visited for indoor miscellaneous services including treatment for orthopaedic, eye, ENT, general surgeries etc.

Of the estimated Rs611m amount, Rs453m loss was worked out in the category of indoor patients denied by the government District Headquarter Hospitals (DHQs) and Tehsil Headquarter Hospitals (THQs) and Rs158m loss against the delivery cases.

There are a total 34 government DHQs hospitals, 88 THQs, 293 rural health centres (RHCs) and 2,461 basic health units (BHUs) in Punjab, catering to health needs of nearly 70 per cent of the population of small districts and remote areas of the largest province.

In Punjab, almost every citizen was entitled to avail himself of treatment facility from the public and private sector [approved] hospitals under the Sehat Sahulat Programme.

According to the report, 108,700 patients visited the DHQ and THQ hospitals across the Punjab province during the month of April for ‘indoor healthcare services’.

The hospitals admitted only 18,009 out of the total 108,700 patients under the UHI scheme while the others who constituted 83pc were denied treatment through the programme.

It has also been mentioned in the report that all the denied patients were attended routinely and provided treatment in the hospitals accordingly, showing the trend of discouraging the health card scheme.

Similarly, 18,641 patients visited the DHQs and THQs of Punjab during the last month and of them 10,741 were booked for treatment under UHI only for C section and normal deliveries.

The report further revealed the hospital-wise break-up of the patients stating 57pc of the total patients who visited the DHQ hospitals of Punjab were provided treatment under the UHI in the categories mentioned above.

As per the report, the DHQ hospitals in Jhang and Pakpattan provided treatment for indoor services to 39pc patients under UHI, DHQ Bahawalnagar 43pc, DHQ Attock 44pc, DHQ Narowal and Chiniot 46pc, DHQ Toba Tek Singh 48pc, DHQ Kasur 49pc etc.

The treatment ratio of the female patients visited for gynae-related services, including the C-sections, also remained low largely ranging between 40 and 60pc.

On the other side, the ratio of the dialysis treatment of the kidney failure patients was much better as compared to other patients as it ranged between 80 and 90pc in state-run hospitals, as per the report.

It merits mentioning that 60pc share of each case reported under the Sehat Sahulat Programme goes to the national exchequer and 40pc to the hospital’s accounts.

The hospitals further distribute the shares among the medics, nurses, paramedics and other employees from the 40pc of the share. A part of the share also goes to the hospital.

Published in Dawn, May 19th, 2024