Public Health: ‘Diphtheria patients were too ill’

Health Services DG told the court that the patients had been brought to hospitals in critical condition

LAHORE: Many of the children suffering from diphtheria were critically ill when they were brought to hospitals. Shortage of medicine or facilities did not impede efforts to save their lives, Health Services Director General Zahid Pervez told the Lahore High Court on Wednesday. He gave this statement on summons regarding a petition regarding death of children due to shortage of diphtheria medicine. Justice Khalid Mehmood Khan was hearing the petition. Pervez told the court that the patients had been brought to hospitals in critical condition. “Doctors treating them did the best they could. The unfortunate deaths were not the result of shortage of medicines or negligence by doctors.” Advocate Azhar Siddique, counsel for the petitioner, told the court that the deaths had been caused by criminal negligence on part of Health Department officials. He said the government had used up the budget for the construction of Metro Train.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 31^st, 2015.