Author: Aminullah, Currently an MScN scholar at Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan. Did his BSN from Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan in 2016. Then he worked for 6 years As a Registered Nurse in different tertiary care hospitals in Pakistan including 3 years at AKU.
Healthcare is the action taken to maintain or improve one's physiological, psychological, or emotional well-being by qualified and certified experts (Definition of HEALTH CARE, 2023). Pakistan is a developing country with large population, and it is frequently criticized for its ineffective healthcare system, which has led to poor health outcomes for many of its residents. In Pakistan, a large number of individuals live in poverty because they cannot afford even the most basic medical care. Due to this, there have been proposals for Pakistan to implement universal health care coverage, which would make healthcare services available to all individuals for free. Everyone should have the opportunity to receive excellent healthcare regardless of their financial situation. The meaning of common saying that “Health is wealth” is understood by the individuals of all community, all groups, occupation and backgrounds (Kapur, 2020).
Health care is an elementary human right, thus regardless of socioeconomic condition, everyone should have the opportunity to receive excellent medical treatment. Nobody ought to suffer or pass away as a result of their poverty. According to the principle of the right to health for all, healthcare should be in easy access to everyone regardless of any financial hardship (Health Is a Fundamental Human Right, n.d.) The right to healthcare is one of a number of standards for human rights that are universally acknowledged. It is indivisible from other rights such as the right to food, education, housing, employment, and participation.(Human Rights, n.d.
Free healthcare in Pakistan could provide major economic and social benefits as health improvement can have a direct impact on GDP (Nicholson, 2014). When people are healthy, they are more likely to be productive and contribute to the economy. Economic development and good health are directly related and reciprocally influenced by one other, proposing that better health encourages growth by increasing productivity while advancing growth facilitates improved human asset accumulation (Gupta & Mitra, 2004). Furthermore, providing free healthcare can reduce the financial burden on families, as they will no longer have to spend their income on healthcare expenses. This can lead to increased spending money on other necessities, such as education, which have positive long-term effects on the economy. By providing health care insurance, employers decrease projected time away from work in two ways: by lowering the likelihood that employees would become ill or by raising the likelihood that employees will recover from disease (Dizioli & Pinheiro, 2016). There is a substantial difference in the provision of healthcare services in Pakistan, with a significant divide between the rich and the poor. A significant proportion of the population, roughly 30%, lives in extreme poverty (Kurji et al., 2016).
The government can take an active role in closing the inequality gap by providing free healthcare services. Access to healthcare for all, regardless of money, promotes an equitable culture and creates a sense of social solidarity.
In conclusion, healthcare should be free for all in Pakistan. Everyone has the right to get quality healthcare. Providing free healthcare would also have significant benefits for the economy, including improving productivity and reducing poverty. Therefore, the government of Pakistan should prioritize providing free healthcare to its citizens as a basic human right. In order to develop a free healthcare system with quality assurance, Pakistan needs to learn from the experiences of other nations that offer free healthcare to their residents.
References:
Definition of HEALTH CARE. (2023, March 23). https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/health+care
Dizioli, A., & Pinheiro, R. (2016). Health insurance as a productive factor. Labour Economics, 40, 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.labeco.2016.03.002
Gupta, I., & Mitra, A. (2004). Economic Growth, Health and Poverty: An Exploratory Study for India. Development Policy Review, 22(2), 193–206. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-7679.2004.00245.x
Health is a fundamental human right. (n.d.). Retrieved March 26, 2023, from https://www.who.int/news-room/commentaries/detail/health-is-a-fundamental-human-right
Human rights. (n.d.). Retrieved March 26, 2023, from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/human-rights-and-health
Kapur, R. (2020). Significance of Health Care and Medical Facilities in Promoting Health and Well-being.
Kurji, Z., Premani, Z., & Mithani, Y. (2016). Analysis Of The Health Care System Of Pakistan: Lessons Learnt And Way Forward. Journal of Ayub Medical College, Abbottabad : JAMC, 28, 601–604.
Nicholson, D. (2014, December 12). The world needs free healthcare for all, says ex-NHS boss. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2014/dec/12/the-world-needs-free-healthcare-for-all-says-ex-nhs-boss
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