Medic in trouble after sharing images of dead children

Uploads images on social media, saying children died of measles

PESHAWAR: The chief executive of Khalifa Gulnawaz Teaching Hospital, Bannu has served a show-cause notice to a house officer after the latter shared a video on social media with images of children who reportedly died of measles.

The notice was served on June 9 when the hospital chief executive, Professor Dr Jahangir Khan, labelled the sharing of the video as an act of misconduct.

The notice, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, read that Jahangir Khan as the competent authority was convinced that house officer Dr Hamid Khan had committed misconduct by displaying the video.

Controversial move

“Another innocent soul passes away, a measles patient due to severe pneumonia. About 16 children died due to measles in these two weeks,” read Hamid Khan’s status on a social networking site. It was posted on July 7 after a child died, reportedly due to measles, at the facility.



The status further read there was no administration official at the facility and the medical superintendent failed to take interest. It added no life-saving medicines were available in the emergency room or facilities at the paediatric ward. The status also added the air conditioner in the paediatric ward was out of order for 10 days and temperature inside was a sizzling 39 degrees Centigrade.

Questioning authorities

Hamid alleged the facility had Rs60 million in its accounts. He added head of the paediatric ward had informed the hospital management multiple times, in writing, about the emergency situation in the ward. However, no action was taken.

“This is a crime and brutality against the innocent lives of precious children. The MS of the hospital should be arrested,” Hamid posted on social media. The house officer said he and his friends held door-to-door awareness campaigns against measles since parents kept their children inside rooms once they are infected by measles.

At a distance

On the other hand, the notice mentioned that the issue highlighted by the house officer on social media was not related to his areas of concern and it was never reported to the hospital administration by the head of the concerned department.

“You were required to report for duty as a house officer to the paediatric, surgery, burns, trauma and reconstructive plastic surgery units with effect from June 1, but you are seen in irrelevant places of the hospital,” the notice read. “You are hereby called upon to show cause as to why your house job may not be terminated.”

Published in The Express Tribune, June 13^th, 2016.