HOSPITAL BEDS: An acute shortage of hospital beds as well as ventilators in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), particularly at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) and the Polyc-linic, poses a significant challenge to the cause of public health. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends a minimum of five hospital beds per 1,000 people. Pakistan falls way below that mark, and also has one of the lowest ratios of ventilators per bed in intensive care units (ICUs). The relevant authorities must address the issues.

Tasleem Naz Abro
Islamabad

ADVANCE INCOME TAX: Every month, withholding tax is deducted from the internet/mobile services in addition to the other various taxes, like provincial sales tax on services, etc. However, the logic of collecting withholding tax is not clear due to its admissible nature of taxation, which means that such tax is refundable or adjustable in future tax liability. The tax authorities never refund the collected taxes easily until the tax-payer uses his influential contacts. Therefore, the government and its taxation authorities need to abolish all adjustable taxes from the system, and provide genuine relief to the people.

Vijay Kumar Talreja
Karachi

APPLICATION FEE: The Quaid-i-Awam University of Engineering, Sciences and Technology (QUEST), Nawabshah, advertised multiple job posts a little while ago. However, the application fee was Rs5,000 per post. Given the fact that the majority of the applicants would be jobless, it was, indeed, very difficult to pay such a hefty amount for a single job application. Unfortunately, this was sheer injustice to hundreds of deserving candidates who sought employment in one of the mainstream engineering institutions of Sindh. It was akin to rubbing salt into the wound as the unemployment ratio stands high among the youth. The authorities should either make it a one-time fee, or reduce the amount so the candidates may apply easily.

Wasi Hyder Larik
Hyderabad

Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2024