IT is often said that our ruling elite lives in a bubble, insulated from the troubles of the common man. The Pakistan Medical Association is seeking to burst that bubble, at least to some extent. To that end, it has asked the Supreme Court chief justice to take suo motu notice of the politicians, bureaucrats and their families seeking medical treatment abroad at public expense, and restrict them from doing so. The PMA has also decided to write to the national and provincial assemblies demanding legislation requiring politicians and bureaucrats to obtain treatment at publicsector hospitals. The issue is once again in the spotlight because of Kulsoom Nawaz`s visit to the UK for medical examination after she was diagnosed with lymphoma, a disease for which treatment is available in Pakistan.

The difference between the haves and the have-nots in Pakistani society is particularly highlighted when politicians jet off to foreign shores for medical treatment, of ten for even minor ailments.

Meanwhile, the plight of the people at overcrowded, underfunded government hospitals is pitiable. They throng the OPDs from the early hours in the hope of getting a medical consultation; the quality of treatment can be questionable, even downright appalling; admitted patients can find themselves sharing a bed with another patient and if they are from out of town, their families sometimes have little choice but to sleep on the pavement outside. Were it not for patient welfare associations, generous donors and selfless medical professionals, there would not have been any pockets of better care in this dismal situation at all. If the people`s representatives and the bureaucrats that implement their policies are not moved and ashamed by this state of affairs, then it is only fitting they get a dose of the same. Restrictions on accessing medical facilities outside Pakistan would also have another benefit, for they would close one avenue for government officials to evade court proceedings by taking the plea of requiring treatment abroad. Exceptions can possibly be made, after proper verification, in cases where a particular treatment is not locally available, and if treatment is nevertheless sought in the private sector, it should be at personal expense. In such a scenario, one can be sure that public-sector hospitals and related facilities such as laboratories will see a dramatic improvement. Af ter all, our ruling elites believe they have a right to the best. The fact is, so do the people over whom they rule.