Privatization of Civil Hospital and BMC Equivalent to Denying Healthcare to the Poor: Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party

**Quetta (Daily Qudrat Quetta)** – The Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party has strongly condemned the provincial government’s decision to privatize Sandeman Provincial Hospital (Civil Hospital) and Bolan Medical Complex, terming the move as an anti-people step that would deprive poor citizens of essential healthcare services.

In a press release issued by the party’s provincial secretariat, deep concern and regret were expressed over the notification declaring the two major public hospitals as autonomous bodies. The party rejected the decision outright, stating that transforming these institutions into autonomous entities is effectively equivalent to taking away free government healthcare and basic medical facilities from underprivileged patients.

The statement noted that Sandeman Provincial Hospital, established during the British era, and Bolan Medical Complex, set up during the tenure of former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to serve poor and deserving patients, have long been the main healthcare centers for millions of residents of Quetta and other districts of the province.

According to the party, the health department is already in a deteriorating state, with patients facing a lack of basic facilities in public hospitals. The recent privatization notification, it argued, would further aggravate the hardships of poor citizens who rely on these hospitals for treatment.

The press release also highlighted widespread issues such as corruption, nepotism, inflation, and unemployment, which have already placed immense mental and financial strain on the public. It stated that people are deprived of quality education, healthcare, clean drinking water, gas, and electricity, and that shifting the financial burden of healthcare onto citizens through privatization would make access to medical treatment nearly impossible for low-income families.

The party called upon all political and democratic forces, social organizations, and citizens across the province to raise their voice against the decision and demand the immediate withdrawal of the notification. It urged the government to reverse the autonomous status of the two hospitals and instead take concrete steps to improve healthcare facilities.

The Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party warned that if the notification is not withdrawn, it would be compelled to launch protests with public support, holding the incumbent government responsible for any consequences arising from such actions.