LAHORE: Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar on Sunday put an immediate ban on the commercialisation of residential plots/properties in provincial metropolis and ordered the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) to present its policy on the subject.

“We are stopping all kind of commercialisation in the whole city. It is a fraud with residents of Lahore,” said the chief justice heading a two-judge bench at the Lahore registry of the Supreme Court.

The bench was hearing a suo motu notice against exorbitant prices of healthcare service at private hospitals and violations of building laws in the construction of these facilities.

Hints at striking down LDA’s policy, terms it a fraud

Justice Ijazul Ahsan is the other member of the bench.

During the course of hearing, the chief justice observed that the rampant commercialisation had ruined the lives of citizens and the city as well. “Lahore is no more Lahore,” he regretted.

The chief justice also hinted at striking down the LDA’s commercialisation policy, which he termed a fraud.

He directed LDA Director General Amina Imran Khan to submit on the next hearing the authority’s commercialisation policy and record of properties commercialised in the city.

Meanwhile, the chief executive officers (CEOs) and directors of different private hospitals appeared before the bench and submitted the price lists of their healthcare facilities.

Dr Ghazanfar Ali Shah of the Doctors Hospital said they were delivering quality healthcare services, which were costly but still cheap if compared with charges of similar facilities in other countries.

The chief justice, however, observed that the private hospitals had not been following standards of the Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC) on healthcare services. He pointed out that a patient had to pay more than Rs100,000 for a one-day admission in a private hospital.

He further noted that the canteens of private hospitals were selling water bottles on inflated rates like hotels and restaurants. He said the court had also received complaints about overcharging in medicines at the pharmacies established inside these facilities.

Justice Ahsan observed that the private hospitals had crossed the limit of reasonable price standards and become profit making organisations. He said private hospitals charged overhead expenses in a bill up to 60 per cent.

Chief Justice Nisar warned all the hospitals’ owners to set their house in order or the court would do the job.

“You cannot enjoy unbridled liberty,” the chief justice reminded the hospital owners.

Meanwhile, LDA DG Ms Khan told the bench that a team of the authority when visited the Doctors Hospital found various violations of the building laws. The bench ordered the LDA to remove all the illegal constructions.

National Hospital, Defence, CEO Dr Sarwar told the bench that the private hospitals would be automatically shut down once the condition of public hospitals was improved. He said only rich people came to his hospital as the services they provided were expensive. The chief justice asked him to also think about serving people instead of making money only.

Mr Sarwar pointed out that he established a trust hospital in his native town Vehari where patients got free of cost treatment. Citing examples of other countries, he said business community and rich individuals should contribute to the private hospitals or establish their own.

The chief justice also took notice against establishment of some private hospitals on the banks of drains and directed the secretary of Environment Protection Agency (EPA) to initiate action against them as per environmental laws.

CEOs of Surgimed, Hameed Latif, Omar and Midcity hospitals also appeared before the court and submitted their price lists.

The bench directed the LDA to inspect all private hospitals and penalise them for illegal constructions, if compoundable, otherwise, demolish the structures.

About Hameed Latif Hospital, the bench directed the LDA to revisit an old work plan for demolition of its illegal structure and submit a compliance report. The chief justice observed that the hospital acquired adjacent bungalows and got them commercialised depriving the people of the area of their peaceful life.

The bench adjourned the hearing for a week and issued fresh notices to the owner of the hospitals who failed to turn up.

Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2018