SHC issues notices to health authorities, hospitals on petition seeking emergency treatment for all.

Byline: Ishaq Tanoli

KARACHI -- The Sindh High Court on Thursday put the federal and provincial health authorities on notice on a petition against non-provision of treatment to general patients at the government and private health facilities.

The two-judge bench headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar issued notices to the ministry of national health services, provincial health secretary, three major government hospitals and five private hospitals of the city for May 13.

Two lawyers approached the SHC and contended that the government and private sector hospitals were not providing first aid or any other kind of treatment to general patients due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The petitioners, Asim Iqbal and Nadeem Shaikh, further argued that instead of providing first aid or emergency treatment to patients suffering from different diseases, accidents or other sudden ailments, the health facilities were asking them to provide the coronavirus test results first. That demand delayed the treatment and not only caused death of several patients, but also spread panic in the public that they would not be attended to in an emergency situation at hospitals.

'Both government and private hospitals are not providing treatment to general patients because of the pandemic'

They further stated that the main two respondents were the controlling and registering authorities and the remaining respondents both in the government and the private sector hospitals were duty-bound to provide basic emergency medical care and injured persons had the right to get emergency medical treatment and care.

Such a treatment must be initiated without demanding payment/advance, and basic care should be provided to the patient irrespective of their paying capacity, they said.

The petitioners contended that due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the respondents had closed the general OPDs in government hospitals for patients who could not bear the...