Lahore [Pakistan], January 17 : A patient feedback assessment has brought to light serious deficiencies in healthcare services at Pakistan's Punjab province's major public sector teaching hospitals, raising questions about governance and accountability in the provincial health system. The findings point to widespread complaints regarding the denial of free medicines and the alleged indifference of medical staff toward patients, as reported by Dawn.
According to Dawn, out of 1,976 patients contacted by the Special Monitoring Unit (SMU), as many as 719 reported that they were not provided with free medicines, while 622 complained that duty doctors failed to treat them properly. In effect, 36 per cent of respondents highlighted the absence of free medicines, and 31 per cent expressed dissatisfaction over doctors' conduct and treatment standards. The data places Mayo Hospital Lahore at the top of the list for complaints related to doctors' non-cooperation, with 54 patients flagging the issue. It was followed by Nishtar Hospital Multan with 52 complaints and the Children's Hospital Lahore with 48. Several other leading institutions, including hospitals in Sahiwal, Rahim Yar Khan, Lahore and Bahawalpur, also featured prominently in patients' grievances.
The report, formally titled Patient Feedback Report on Tertiary Care Hospitals of Punjab, has been submitted to Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and circulated among senior health officials for action. It explicitly calls for swift corrective measures and demands a detailed account of the steps taken against staff found negligent.
With regard to free medicines, Mayo Hospital Lahore again emerged as the most criticised facility, where 94 patients complained of being forced to purchase medicines from private pharmacies. Similar allegations were recorded from hospitals in Rahim Yar Khan, Multan, Lahore, Sahiwal and Bahawalpur, highlighting what appears to be a province-wide issue rather than isolated lapses, as highlighted by Dawn.
Beyond medicines and doctors' behaviour, patients also raised concerns about rude allied staff, excessive waiting times for surgeries and diagnostic tests, illegal charges for laboratory services, shortage of beds, denial of admissions, bribery, faulty equipment and the conduct of security personnel. The SMU also pointed out that hospitals had recorded thousands of incorrect contact numbers, making it difficult to independently verify patient experiences, as reported by Dawn.