CJP orders government to acquire cholesterol treatment machine in 10 days

LAHORE: Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Saqib Nisar ordered the Punjab government on Sunday to obtain within 10 days the machine required to treat patients with high cholesterol. 

Hearing a suo motu case on lack of treatment for children born with cholesterol, the two-member Supreme Court bench headed by the chief justice observed that if no treatment is available then a patient cannot be left to die.

The chief justice remarked that he wants to know why no hospital in the country has this machine, adding that if the government does not have the funds then the court can take assistance from rich persons and get it itself.

Punjab Health Minister Salman Rafique assured the court that the machine will be imported and all relevant facilities provided.

Medical expert professor Ayaz informed the bench that there is no treatment for the ailment the world over, adding that the children will be monitored at the Services Hospital. The chief justice then responded that they need to be treated not monitored.

During the hearing, the parents of a child said they were mistreated in the hospital and sought some other relief until the machine comes to Pakistan. The chief justice remarked that the children will be treated in Pakistan and the parents should not seek an excuse to leave the country.

Moreover, during the hearing, the chief justice remarked that the health minister need not show up at every hearing, but added that he should inform his brother, Federal Railways Minister Saad Rafique, that, "something can happen anytime".

Suo motu on security protocol

Earlier, hearing the suo motu on security for non-essential personnel, the chief justice remarked that the 4,610 policemen recalled from protocol duties of non-essential personnel by the Punjab government cost the public exchequer Rs38 billion a year. 

The bench observed further that these numbers don’t include the cost of fuel and vehicles.

"If the same money was spent on health and education things would have been different," Chief Justice Nisar observed.

On Thursday, Chief Justice Nisar had directed inspector-generals of Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, and Islamabad to take back security protocols from people who don't have that privilege. 

The police chief of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had already recalled security officials as per the court's orders. 

As a result, around 13,000 police officials were called back from their respective security duties.