New Delhi , June 28 (IANS) A growing healthcare crisis is unfolding across Rawalpindi as overcrowded public hospitals, rising treatment costs and the absence of regulation in the private sector leave thousands of residents struggling to access medical care, a report has said.

Long queues outside government hospitals have become a daily scene in the city, with patients arriving before dawn in the hope of receiving treatment, according to Dawn report.

However, increasing population pressure and limited healthcare infrastructure have pushed public facilities beyond their capacity.

At major hospitals, including Benazir Bhutto Hospital, outpatient departments remain crowded throughout the day, forcing many patients to wait for hours. Medical staff say the shortage of doctors, beds and resources has made it difficult to provide adequate care, the report said.

“Our OPD remains crowded every day and we fail to keep count of the number of patients we encounter on a daily basis. There simply aren’t enough doctors or beds,” a junior doctor at Benazir Bhutto Hospital said on condition of anonymity.

The doctor said many patients require detailed examinations, diagnostic tests and follow-up consultations, but the hospital lacks the resources to handle the increasing patient load.

While private healthcare facilities offer an alternative to long waiting times, many residents say the cost of treatment has become unaffordable. Consultation fees vary widely across hospitals and clinics, with no standard pricing mechanism in place.

A visit to a general physician can cost between Rs 1,500 and Rs 3,000, while specialist consultations often range from Rs 4,000 to Rs 7,000 or more. Patients also complain about additional expenses for diagnostic tests, medicines and follow-up visits, as per the report.

“There is no regulation. Everyone charges what they want and it varies in different parts of the city,” said Mohammad Azeem, an employee of a private company who recently borrowed money to pay for his mother’s treatment for a kidney infection.

“It’s not just the fee, it’s the tests, the medicines and the follow-ups. Health has become a luxury,” he said cites by Dawn.

–IANS

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