Two pieces of sad news published today in Dawn caught my attention while I awaited Sohrab Khan, a dear friend, who kindly brings Swiss cheese upon my request for our school Alumni Patron-in-Chief, Honourable Prince Mahmoud Aurangzeb, incidentally a Member of the Pakistan Medical & Dental Council and a connoisseur with a taste for the world’s finest cheeses.
Each year, seeing the picture of my late cousin Zahra Saigol Zarfaraz published in Dawn reaffirms my belief in destiny and the inevitability of certain events, death being among them. Despite her youth and privilege, if resources could have saved her life, she would undoubtedly still be with us today.
I vividly recall her funeral in 1996, while I was stationed in Karachi. Her body was flown from abroad by her loving brother Khan Abbas Khan Sarfaraz to their home, “Mardan House,” in Karachi, amid tears and sobs. I also remember meeting my late uncle, Col Yayha Effendi, who had traveled from Rawalpindi to attend the funeral. I am grateful to Honourable Hameed Haroon, the then CEO of Dawn, who kindly informed me in time about Zahra’s untimely demise, allowing us to accompany her remains to her final resting place.
Another shocking revelation came from the Minister of Water and Power, Honourable Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari, about the government’s involvement in theft worth billions against ordinary Pakistanis through overbilling for electricity not even consumed. Such practices are unheard of in any civilized society, where the state robs its own citizens in other words bite the hand that feeds it .
Unfortunately, this exploitation extends to every aspect of a common Pakistani’s life, including the noble profession of medicine. Unnecessary diagnostic costs far exceed the actual cost of treatment, burdening the white-collar middle class, who are already struggling to make ends meet.
I hope that, like the Honourable Water and Power Minister promised action against unscrupulous officials serving the Power Distribution Companies across Pakistan , the Pakistan Medical & Dental Council ought take steps to regulate the diagnostic industry especially pathological laboratories . Its rampant growth across Pakistan is evidence of its abuse by heartless practitioners, and it’s imperative to protect patients from such exploitation.
