PMA warns of nationwide service suspension over FBR’s raids on healthcare facilities

PMA condemns FBR’s aggressive tactics, threatens nationwide service suspension

KARACHI: The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has issued a strong condemnation following a series of high-handed raids by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on private healthcare facilities across Punjab. This aggressive enforcement strategy has drawn significant outrage, with the PMA calling it a direct attack on the sanctity of healthcare delivery in Pakistan.

The raids, which included unannounced entries into hospitals and disruption of outpatient department (OPD) services, have been deemed unacceptable by the PMA, which states that such actions are not just administrative issues but an outright interference with patient management. This intervention threatens to harm the very core of healthcare services, potentially leading to dire consequences for patient care.

Grievances against FBR's actions

The PMA has highlighted a number of concerns surrounding the FBR's tactics:

• Hospitals as sensitive zones: The PMA argues that hospitals are not commercial spaces but sensitive environments where the presence of enforcement officials creates an atmosphere of fear and anxiety. This, in turn, disrupts clinical work and disturbs surgical teams, directly impacting patient care. The PMA insists that tax collection must never compromise human life.
• Doctors are not "traders": The association strongly objects to the treatment of healthcare professionals as mere vendors. Private healthcare providers serve over 70% of Pakistan’s population, and labeling them as "traders" is a gross misrepresentation of the healthcare profession’s noble duties.
• Respect for the rule of law: While the PMA acknowledges the importance of audits, it rejects the use of "commando-style raids" that subject healthcare providers to public humiliation and disrupt their ability to deliver essential services. The PMA calls for audits to be conducted through professional channels, not through aggressive, disruptive tactics.
• Impact on professional excellence: The PMA warns that these actions could discourage young professionals, pushing Pakistan’s brightest medical minds to seek opportunities abroad. The relentless victimization of healthcare providers is leading to a brain drain that could weaken the healthcare system in the long term.

The PMA's call for accountability

The PMA insists that if the government requires the private healthcare sector to comply with taxes, it must be done with accountability for how these funds are utilized. The association demands that taxes collected from healthcare providers should not contribute to the luxurious lifestyles of politicians and bureaucrats but instead be used to serve the public.

The PMA’s demands include:
• Forfeiture of privileges by politicians funded by taxpayers
• End of luxury vehicle usage by bureaucrats
• Cessation of unnecessary international travel by ministers at the public's expense

The PMA argues that the tax money should benefit the welfare of Pakistan’s citizens, not the extravagance of the ruling elite.

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A clear threat of service suspension

The PMA’s statement is clear: if the FBR continues its harassment of private healthcare facilities, the PMA will have no choice but to initiate a nationwide suspension of services. The association emphasized that any healthcare crisis resulting from this move will rest solely on the shoulders of the FBR and relevant authorities.

The PMA’s commitment to healthcare integrity

In conclusion, the PMA reminds the government and authorities that "Our dignity is not for sale, and our service to humanity shall not be compromised." The association vows to continue fighting for the integrity of healthcare and the well-being of Pakistan’s citizens, despite these challenges.

The PMA calls on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Federal Minister for Finance Muhammad Aurangzeb to urgently address the issue and end the aggressive raids that have created chaos in the healthcare system.

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