Folk wisdom dictates that if a man does not eat at home, he may never give his wife enough money to cook a good pot of soup. By the same logic, Pakistani politicians seeking medical assistance abroad may never feel a compelling personal need to improve the healthcare system they oversee. In fact, their choice to be treated abroad is an admission of the fact that they do not have confidence in the healthcare system of the country they rule. Given this medical disparity between the rulers and the ruled, one wonders what an economically less fortunate person is supposed to do if he faces a life-threatening disease.
However, their followers’ tendency to support their choice to go to a doctor and a hospital of their choosing anywhere around the globe for any kind of illness is not something normal. Private citizens may owe no explanation when they travel abroad to get the medical care not available within their own country. But, it is a completely different kettle of fish, when it comes to the political elite making foreign medical tours. Being responsible to ensure that specialised treatment is available in a country they rule, they are supposed to sink or swim with the public.
