K-P hospitals still struggle despite years of PTI rule

PESHAWAR: Despite 13 years of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) rule and several major healthcare initiatives, public hospitals across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa continue to face shortages of basic facilities, medicines and treatment, prompting residents to question the benefits of successive reforms and demand improvements from the new administration. During its tenure, the PTI government introduced several initiatives in the health sector, including the Sehat Card programme, the establishment of Boards of Governors (BoGs) in public-sector hospitals and the Institution-Based Practice (IBP) system. The measures were presented as efforts to improve healthcare delivery and strengthen the financial position of public hospitals. However, residents have questioned their implementation and the extent to which ordinary patients benefited. Javed Khan, a resident of Gulberg Peshawar Cantt, told The Express Tribune that the poor had received little benefit from the PTI government's 13-year tenure. He alleged that public hospitals had been privatised to benefit individuals close to the former ruling party rather than to improve healthcare services for the general public. Khan also alleged that billions of rupees had been embezzled under the Sehat Card programme, raising concerns about the financial management of one of the former government's flagship healthcare initiatives. He said the imposition of governor's rule had created expectations that the new administration would focus on public needs rather than political pressure and interests. He expressed hope that technocrats appointed to the new administration, given their respective professional expertise, would address longstanding problems in the health sector. He said the public wanted the administration to prioritise service delivery and ensure that people unable to afford expensive private treatment could access healthcare facilities. Meanwhile, Abbas Khan, a resident of Mardan, said district-level hospitals continued to face shortages of basic facilities despite years of government claims about improvements in healthcare. He told The Express Tribune that patients suffering from cancer and other serious diseases continued to struggle to obtain treatment and medicines at public hospitals. Abbas said the situation was particularly difficult for residents of remote districts and tribal areas, including Mohmand, Bajaur and Kurram, where basic healthcare facilities remained inadequate. Patients in these areas often had to travel long distances for medical treatment, adding to the difficulties faced by families with limited financial resources. Criticising the former provincial government, he said the PTI had repeatedly promised change, but roads and infrastructure across K-P, particularly in Peshawar, remained in poor condition. He said the problems extended beyond infrastructure, as residents continued to struggle to access even basic healthcare services. According to Abbas, the new administration should concentrate on resolving these longstanding issues instead of making further promises without delivering practical improvements. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi said he had received numerous complaints about the province's healthcare system and would meet the health adviser to discuss hospital governance, the Sehat Card programme and improvements to medical facilities. He pledged to continue welfare initiatives benefiting the public but criticised PTI's 13-year tenure, claiming it had failed to establish new hospitals or BHUs. In response, PTI provincial information secretary Shaukat Yousafzai defended the party's performance, citing hospital upgrades and the Sehat Card programme. He rejected corruption allegations and challenged the government to present evidence, saying no concrete proof had been provided.