Hazardous cuts: Theatre assistant accused of performing surgeries

Victoria Hospital employee goes into hiding; Health Dept launches inquiry.

BAHAWALPUR:


Health Department on Wednesday launched an inquiry against a Victoria Hospital operation theatre assistant on charges of performing surgeries.


A case has also been registered against the man, OT assistant Ahsanul Haq, with Baghdadul Jadeed police under sections 185 and 506 of the Pakistan Penal Code. The FIR registered with the Baghdadul Jadeed police station accused Haq of obstructing government officials in discharge of their duties and threatening them with dire consequences in case they launched an inquiry against him.

Police said the man had gone into hiding and that they were conducting raids to arrest him. Sub Inspector Siddique said a team had been formed for this purpose and that it had already raided the houses of Haq’s two wives but he was not found over there. He said had the Health Department had coordinated with them on Tuesday they would have arrested the man on the spot.

EDO (Health) Dr Arshad told The Express Tribune that they have sent a notice to the accused, OT assistant Ahsanul Haq. He said they have also requested the Victoria Hospital medical superintendent and the Quaid-i-Azam Medical College principal to also take action against him.

Complainant Amir Shahid, a Health Department drug inspector, had raided Haq’s private hospital on Tuesday with a team of journalists. Shahid stated in the FIR that Haq was running the hospital without employing any registered doctors. He said that the accused was giving expired medicines to the patients at his hospital and that he was using Victoria Hospital’s equipment at the operation theatre in his hospital.


Haq rejected that the equipment belonged to Victoria Hospital.

Talking to reporters on Tuesday, he said he owned the equipment and at times took it to Victoria Hospital when he had to operate someone over there.

He affirmed that he was the owner of the hospital and said that he and his wife, a midwife at Victoria Hospital, together run the facility.

The FIR said that Haq threatened the drug inspector that he would get him sacked if the inspector reported the matter to the high-ups. He allegedly told the inspector that he had contacts in the department as well as the hospital administration.

The charges against the man include using government-owned vehicles.

Relatives of several patients admitted at Haq’s hospital told the Tribune that the man and his wife, a midwife at the Victoria Hospital, said they could perform all types of surgeries.

Abdul Shakoor said his baby delivered by the couple two days ago had died on Tuesday morning. He said his wife’s health had also deteriorated after the procedure. He said she was still admitted at the hospital.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 19th, 2011.
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