Pakistan, July 12 -- On Wednesday, a woman died on the operating table in Sahiwal. The surgery, reportedly routine, was carried out by a doctor aided by seven paramedical staff; none of whom, police now allege, were qualified to perform the procedure. The clinic has been sealed, and FIRs registered. But for the grieving family, none of this changes the fact that a preventable death has now become another file in a system where accountability is rarely the outcome.

The Punjab Healthcare Commission's own records show how widespread this problem is. More than 23,000 healthcare facilities in the province have been declared unlicensed or illegal in the last five years. Many continue to operate. Even in 2023, over 7,000 flagged clinics remaine...