The Sindh High Court has instructed Members of Parliament (MPs) to receive medical treatment only at government hospitals within their own constituencies.
The court remarked that this measure will help address the deficiencies in these hospitals, adding that failing to provide medical facilities to citizens violates Article 9 of the Constitution.
According to the court’s order, MPs, from local ward representatives to national legislators, along with their families, must use the government hospitals in their respective areas.
However, the court permitted MPs to obtain treatment for severe conditions, such as cancer, outside their constituencies if needed.
Earlier in May this year, the Sindh Assembly was informed of a severe shortage of specialized doctors in government hospitals. It was revealed that many postgraduate medical practitioners choose to work abroad or in the private sector because of the low salaries offered by the provincial government.
Health Minister Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho told the assembly that the shortage of specialized doctors is a global issue. She stated that many postgraduate doctors are leaving for the United States, Europe, and the Middle East, where they are offered attractive salary packages.