Medical care in Pakistan

In Pakistan health care has to be paid for. There are fees for seeing a doctor, more fees for blood tests, x-rays, scans, etc.; all medicines have to be paid for, there are fees for staying in hospital … Being ill is expensive. Generally the more you pay the better qualified the doctor and medical staff, and the better the treatment.

Many people struggle to afford the fees of even a poorly qualified doctor and receive poor treatment, or even the wrong treatment. The condition can worsen and they are then force to seek better, more expensive care. It’s easy for families to end up in debt as they borrow money to pay the bills.

A lot of people have the understanding that a good doctor will prescribe medicine and a really good doctor will give an injection or put the patient on a drip. People expect, and want, medication. Unscrupulous doctors will prescribe a cocktail of medicines, regardless of the problem and regardless of whether they will truly help the patient.

Anybody can start a health care business. there is no system of regulation, no control over the fees charged, there are no minimum standards or safety checks. Offering health care can be a profitable business, at times with little concern for the patient. As always, its hardest on the poorest.

Pray that as people yield their lives to God through Jesus Christ, there will be a genuine concern for others, especially the less privileged, resulting in a better health care system throughout Pakistan.

Pray that in Pakistan the Gospel message will be confirmed by miraculous sings of healing that bring physical relief and a turning to Christ, the course of true healing and wholeness.