06-12-2009, 03:50 PM
A Pakistani has approached the Court praying for allowing him to donate his kidney to a Saudi national. Dr. Farhat Mozam, Centre of Biomedical Ethics and Culture (SUIT) Karachi commenting on it has raised two issues. The first he rightly doubts that this is a âdonationâ case to which I fully agree with him. This is purely a sale and purchase transaction. His second comment is that Saudi Arabia has âsuperbly trained physiciansâ and well established transplant services hence why should the Said Saudi prefer Pakistan.
Unfortunately we the Pakistanis including Indians are a nation psychologically feeling ourselves inferior and West and wealthy as superior mostly due to their glamour. I have lived Middle East for 26 long years. There is no doubt Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait etc have marvelously large network of Hospitals, area wise large health centers not at far distance from living place. The hospitals are modern, 6 months a year unnecessary renovation keeps going on in the name of upgrading but actually in interest of suppliers and contractors. Hospitals are fully air conditioned. There is no concept of load shedding in hospitals. Waiting rooms are with comfortable chairs. High tech latest ultra modern hospital equipment is there. In 90s in children wards of Bahraini hospitals the kitchen cabinets remained full with different type of baby milk powder free for attending mothers. General treatment till mid 90s was mostly totally free and in few categories subsidized which now is limited only to consultation plus basic medication free. However Saudi Arabia and other middle east countries lacked and still lack âprofessionalismâ and âexpertiseâ. There existed nor exists true professionalism or expertise which is available in Pakistan and India etc. This is the reason well paid Arabs run to UK/USA for treatment while lower middle average people to India. It is only we the Pakistani, Indian, Bangladeshi nationals who are clamored from air conditioned hospitals and never are tired of praising their efficiency and skills because medicines are mostly free.
Apart from dubious âdonationâ point as far as question why a Saudi should come to Pakistan for transplant, I may remind the learned Doctor that he needs to see the record of his own facility (SUIT) now internationally acknowledged. He would find that patients from developed countries including USA and UK have come to get transplant in SUIT. Were they mad? We can still find in the streets of Dasgir, Nazimabad, âLalookhiathâ, Burns Road, the doctors with one two rooms rented premises who still check you only with stethoscope and pulse and give you medicine mixing three four colors mixtures and tables wrapped in newspaper piece and you get cured in 2-3 days. Their diagnose is 99% without any tests or Xrays and further tests. In Saudi Arabia, middle east a doctor is afraid of prescribing you any medicine unless he feels himself safe on strength of tests over tests. That skill, expertise professionalism I referred to above is almost no where in Saudi Arabia or other middle eastern places. Any good real professional doctor hardly goes to middle east country. First half of 70s I do remember there was a Heart Specialist Dr. Aslam in Cardiovascular Hospital Karachi. His nephew was working with us. One day he told us that his uncle had got a very fine offer from Saudi Arabia. We were happy that when uncle is settled there, through nephew friend we may also get employment opportunity in Saudi Arabia. Soon nephew disappointed us telling us that uncle has declined the offer saying if only money is to be earned he can earn much more practicing in Pakistan but he does not want to live like a second grade citizen in an Arab country. It is naked fact living or working with Arabs as a Doctor or as an accountant in senior positions one is always second grade citizen having no real respect amongst the working colleagues as far as Asians are concerned. If some Doctor, some Engineer says he has same respect as he gets working such prestigious posts in Pakistan or UK, he is bluffing.
