LAHORE (Jeddojehad Report) The outbreak of the Corona virus has made the country’s health care system a central debate in Pakistan, as it did around the world. Many users on social media are raising the point that there are more tanks in the country than ventilators. The situation is same probably in many other countries as well. It is therefore important to see how strong or weak the public health care system in the country as a whole is.
According to the data provided by the World Bank, Pakistan’s health care system can be counted among the world’s weakest health systems. There are 0.6 hospital beds for every 1000 people in Pakistan. In neighboring Afghanistan, where the war has been going on for almost forty years, the rate is 0.5. The rate is 13 in Japan, 8 in Germany and 5.5 in Cuba. Interestingly, in countries that were once part of the ‘Communist bloc’, this rate is much better than in Western Europe. Take the example of North Korea, where the rate is 13 and the rate is 11 in South Korea.
Similarly, if the proportion of available doctors is seen, according to the World Bank, In Pakistan for every one thousand people, there is 1 doctor. Talking of paramedical and nursing staff available, then Pakistan has 0.5 nursing and paramedical staff per thousand citizens. These are alarming statistics.
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