Medical malpractices : SC seeks report on blood bags theft in Polyclinic

CJ condemns ‘inhuman and unpardonable crime’

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has sought a detailed report from Federal Government Services Hospital (Polyclinic) about the alleged theft and sale of blood bags and malpractices in the purchase of oxygen flow meters.

A three-member bench head by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar asked Polyclinic Executive Director Shahid Hanif to present a report within a month. The suo moto hearing was into the theft of medicines and malpractices in oxygen gas purchase in Islamabad hospitals.

During the hearing, it was revealed that there have been complaints that donated blood was being sold at Polyclinic. One of the complainants claimed to have proofs that blood bags of the hospital were sold to patients and that eight technicians of the hospital had confessed to the crime.

The chief justice said, “People donate blood to save lives, but it is being sold in the market…which is an inhuman and unpardonable crime”.

Another applicant alleged that the hospital needed 10 oxygen flow meters, but 100 were purchased.

The Polyclinic ED said he did not know about either of the issues because he had taken charge very recently.

One of the complainants, Dr Waqar Aftab, said equipment had been stolen from the liver transplant unit at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), while adding that only one patient had undergone a liver transplant there, and he died soon after the procedure.

It was also alleged diagnostic facilities at hospitals are only used for government employees.

The court asked health officials to present complete reports about various diagnostic facilities, machines, timings and costs for the poor at government hospitals in Islamabad.

The court directed the additional attorney general to club various applications and prepare synopsis of all hospital issues and present the report within a month, or the court would order forensic audits of the hospitals.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 2^nd, 2017.