TP Report
ISLAMABAD: Thousands of pensioners and widows of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) are facing severe difficulties in accessing medical facilities following the airline’s privatisation, with many alleging that the new healthcare arrangement has left them struggling for essential medicines.
Under the revised system, medical services for retired employees and their dependants have been entrusted to the State Life Insurance Corporation of Pakistan. However, affected individuals claim that the mechanism is riddled with shortcomings, resulting in delays, partial provision of medicines and additional financial burden on elderly patients.
Pensioners across the country complain that hospitals affiliated with the insurer frequently fail to provide prescribed medicines in full. Although a fixed monetary limit is approved for treatment, they say the amount often does not cover a complete month’s supply of medicines, forcing patients to make repeated visits to hospitals.
Yousaf Anwar Khattak, chairman of the Action Committee representing pensioners, termed the situation “deeply distressing” and alleged that many retirees had effectively been left without adequate support. Citing his personal experience, he said that despite approvals of Rs11,000 and Rs12,000 for medicines for himself and his spouse respectively, they were provided only a fraction of the required insulin pens for the month.
He further alleged that in some cases medicines prescribed by doctors were substituted with alternatives, while certain prescribed drugs were unavailable at designated pharmacies, compelling patients to purchase them from the open market despite the promise of a cashless treatment system.
Mr Khattak questioned the efficacy of the arrangement, asking what benefit a cashless agreement offered if pensioners were still required to pay out of pocket. He also expressed concern over the absence of clear contact channels within the holding company for lodging complaints.
Describing the issue as one affecting thousands of families rather than a handful of individuals, he called for the establishment of a transparent and effective medical support system, uninterrupted provision of a full month’s prescribed medicines, and a clear and functional grievance redress mechanism.
He warned that failure to address the concerns of pensioners and widows could trigger wider legal and social repercussions, adding that retirees were not seeking charity but the rights they had earned through years of service.
