Editorial :
Lapsing of funds is a common phenomenon in the financially-starved Balochistan. The provincial health minister, Syed Ehsan Shah revealed a bitter reality that his department lapsed Rs.7 billions allocated for the purchase of medicines and equipment for government hospitals.
This exposed the poor political commitment coupled with bad governance and incompetent officers in Balochistan, which is already lagging behind other provinces in terms of key social indicators.
Hospitals without medicines for last three months in Balochistan
Government-run hospitals in Quetta, the provincial capital have been without medicines for the last three months. This compounded the problems of deserving and needy patients knocking the doors of government hospitals.
Since the elites can afford to go to Karachi for medical treatment. So the deserving and needy patients remained the worst sufferers of this incompetency of the government in general and the health department in particular.
Angioplasty and Angiography machines out of order for the last two and half years in BMC
Look at the irony, the angiography and angioplasty machines are out of order at the Baluchistan’s largest government-run hospital i.e. Bolan Medical Complex (BMC) hospital for the last two and half years. This daily has repeatedly reported the out of order machines. Unfortunately, the reports are falling on deaf ears.
The BMC administration cites lack of funds as the underlying reason behind the non repair of machines.
Rs.7 billions lapsed in health department Balochistan
This is strange, on one hand Rs.7 billions are lapsed by the department, on the other hand, the same department complaints about lack of funds for the repair of two machines in BMC.
Simply, this is unacceptable and an investigation conducted by this daily suggests the machines are deliberately made out of order to force the patients towards private clinics and hospitals.
Provincial government should put its own house in order prior to criticism of Islamabad
From the province’s chief minister to a section officer everyone speaks about the financial crisis, currently. Blaming Islamabad for the all ills of the province has been the hallmark of all political leaders from government to opposition.
However, they are yet to put their own house in order and ensure financial discipline in this resources-starved province of the country.
