Criminal negligence: Case registered against NMC

A patient died of liver failure after a hernia surgery at the facility

KARACHI: Police have registered a case against a doctor at the National Medical Centre (NMC) following the death of a patient who was being treated at the health facility.

The family of the patient, who allegedly died due to negligence by surgeon Professor Dr Abdul Aziz, has registered an FIR against NMC for negligence.

Rehman Syed, 42, was a waiter at a clubs in Karachi and was admitted to the hospital on Saturday where a surgery was performed on him to remove a hernia. Syed's family claimed that during the surgery a major nerve was cut by the surgeon due to carelessness. They added that the patient was in great pain but the doctors did not respond on time and hence the patient's leg had to be amputated on Sunday.

Following this, Syed was kept on heavy doses of antibiotics, resulting in kidney failure, which claimed the patient's life in the wee hours of Tuesday. Syed is survived by his wife, six children and parents. According to Noor Hayat, a friend of the deceased, the hospital management has accepted that negligence occurred and is trying to reach a compromise with the family but they are refusing to accept this and will pursue the matter in court. The officials of the hospital did not comment on the issue.

Defence police station SHO Khalid Abbasi said that the case was registered on behalf of the deceased's cousin, Sanaullah, against the surgeon and hospital administration. He said FIR No 511/16 was registered under Section 322 (negligence) of the Pakistan Penal Code against Prof Dr Abdul Aziz. "We have registered a case. Now the case will be transfer to the investigation wing and then the investigators will record the statements of the complainant, family, doctors and hospital administration and those responsible will be booked if found guilty," the officer explained. No arrest was made till the filing of this story.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 22^nd, 2016.