Doctors’ ‘negligence’ kills woman, unborn child

Deceased’s husband says doctors at Civil Hospital told him to take his wife to a private clinic

BAHAWALPUR: A woman and her unborn child died due to the alleged negligence of doctors at Civil Hospital.

Reportedly, Ejaz took his wife Ayesha Bibi to Civil Hospital after she went into labour. At the hospital, doctors told him to take his wife to a private clinic instead. However, Ejaz insisted his wife be admitted to the government hospital as he could not afford a private clinic.



Doctors shifted Ayesha Bibi to a room, where she waited two days without any medical intervention.  On August 29, she was taken to the labour room and was given anaesthesia without conducting a proper evaluation which caused her condition to deteriorate rapidly.

Alarmed at the patient’s condition, staff at Civil Hospital called an ambulance to have Ayesha Bibi shifted to Bahawal Victoria Hospital (BVH). They told us that her lungs were filled with water, said Ejaz.Ayesha was then shifted to BVH’s emergency unit. An hour after arriving, both the mother and the unborn child died. The deceased’s family protested against the negligence of doctors and demanded the government take action against them.

Several complaints have been lodged against the Civil Hospital gynecology ward in the past. Many patients have lost their lives in similar cases.



“Treating patients is our first priority, but we cannot guarantee to save people’s lives,” said Civil Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Rashid. He added that he has received several complaints about the gynecology ward, adding that doctors are turning a deaf ear to his repeated warnings.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 2^nd, 2018.