In the early hours of a humid morning at the urgent condition gate of Lahore's Senior commander Hospital, Fareed Hussain stands staring at a
An illustrative image related to: Energy price hike hits healthcare access, highlighting key aspects of the story. | Image source: The Express Tribune
Energy price hike hits healthcare access
In the early hours of a humid morning at the urgent condition gate of Lahore's Senior commander Hospital, Fareed Hussain stands staring at a rickshaw. Inside, his wife lies curled in pain, having just endured a jolting, dangerous journey from the outskirts of Batapur.
In any other circumstances, she would have arrived in an adequately equipped ambulance, but a 20 per cent surge in petroleum prices fueled by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East has made a safe ride to the hospital unaffordable for the common residents. "I called four private ambulance services," Hussain states, his voice thick with exhaustion. "They all demanded Rs6,000. That is nearly a week's wages for me. I had to choose between a safe ride and the medicines she needs to stay alive."
Hussain's story is not an isolated event; it is a grim reflection of a burgeoning humanitarian crisis across the territory. As the province adjusts energy prices to meet global market fluctuations, the ripple effect has hit the most vulnerable sector: urgent condition medical transport.
In other senior officer cities like Faisalabad, Multan, Rawalpindi and Gujranwala, private ambulance operators have hiked their fares by 20% to 50%, citing the "inevitable" cost of diesel and maintenance.
For patients requiring inter-metro transfers to specialised centres like Mayo Hospital in Lahore, Nishtar Hospital in Multan, or Allied Hospital in Faisalabad, the financial barrier is insurmountable. A trip from Lahore to Sahiwal or Sargodha, which previously cost roughly Rs18,000 rupees, has now skyrocketed to Rs30,000, inflicting a staggering blow to families already suffocating under the weight of price-rise.
The crisis is particularly acute for those traveling from rural districts to the provincial capital. Baba Nazir, a labourer from Nankana Sahib, brings his young daughter to Mayo Hospital for regular cancer treatments. "I used to pay Rs10,000. This time, they took Rs13,500," he shares, clutching a bundle of medical reports. "We are being punished for being sick."
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