RECENTLY a 23-year-old man, whose family works with us, died. He was a victim of a traffic accident. He was immediately rushed to the nearest government hospital and required a ventilator.

For the lack of it in the ICU of the public hospital he was referred to a private one, where he was treated for his injuries while he remained comatose for two weeks till he died.

The private hospital provided great care to the patient.

However, the family is now under a debt of over Rs1m. The daily ICU and ventilator charges at private hospitals run in five figures. This family paid over Rs50,000 a day as treatment charges. We tried to make arrangements for a ventilator at a public hospital, but the patient`s condition was critical and he could no longer be shif ted in an ambulance.Can a common man in Pakistan, who earns a minimum monthly wage of Rs15,000 to Rs20,000, really afford to pay for his and family`s medical care? Healthcare has indeed become a luxury in the country.

Government hospitals in Karachi, though doing a good job, are struggling to cope with the patient load.

At least five to 10 additional public sector tertiary care centres are required with at least two level-one trauma centres for Karachi. These centres should be a public-private partnership and aim at providing free emergency care and stabilisation of major and minor victims of trauma and disasters.

Dr Jahanzeb Effendi Co-founder, First Response Initiative of Pakistan Karachi