Punjab Health Card Update: Gynecology services discontinued

LAHORE: A serious issue has been raised by the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) regarding the exclusion of gynecology and obstetrics in the Health Card scheme in Punjab.

For millions of poor women, this meant that they would no longer be able to access essential care related to pregnancy, delivery, and treatment of female-specific diseases, which they could not otherwise afford. What had been a normal health care policy had suddenly become a question of life and death.

PMA criticized the staggering move of the Punjab Government to withdraw gynecology and obstetrics from the Health Card program, terming it “extremely cruel and irresponsible.”

This was brought to the fore in an emergency meeting of PMA Lahore, headed by President Professor Dr. Shahid Malik, and attended by top doctors such as Professor Dr. Ashraf Nizami, Dr. Arm Shehzadi, Dr. Wajid Ali, Dr. Bushra Haq, Dr. Ahmed Naeem Akhtar, and Dr. Maryam Fatima.

According to PMA officials, this action constitutes a serious injustice to the millions of poor women, as it violates their primary human right to health. As a result of denying women access to basic gynecological and maternity health care, the government risks driving poor families into life-threatening conditions.

Without the possibility of affordable private care, women would be at risk of life-threatening complications in relation to pregnancy, delivery, and treatment of female diseases.

“The Health Card program was established to ensure that quality healthcare is provided to the poorest of our citizens. Leaving out a field as important as gynecology and obstetrics completely defeats this purpose,’ said a statement from the PMA.

Without giving importance to women’s health, the government’s slogan of ‘Health for All’ is rendered meaningless,” officials said.

PMA has desperately drawn the attention of Punjab Chief Minister Ms. Maryam Nawaz, urging her to use her woman leadership status to reverse this policy.