Medical negligence in Karachi

Statistics on medical negligence in the country are difficult to find. This may be because it is not considered an offence by most people, many of whom lack education on the notion of patient rights. Cases have continued to arise, still with minimal outcry. At most, a protest takes place but once the emotions of family members settle, so too does the momentum to take any objective action against those responsible. A three-year-old boy in Karachi died from a wrong injection given to him for typhoid treatment at a private clinic. Although family members have been emphatic in registering their protest by vandalising the doctor’s vehicle, prompting the police to arrest the doctor, it is enigmatic to consider what might result from the arrest.

Such cases regularly arise but with little recourse, especially for those without financial resources to go through litigation or avail influential connections. Ergo, we support the aching family members and suggest that the regulations laid out by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council for medical negligence in their Procedure for Complaints Against Medical and Dental Practitioner Part V be implemented. Respect for patient well-being needs to be better shown and their dignity afforded.

Ours is a system that only functions in a reactionary manner. The doctor’s arrest was made only after surmounting pressure from the family’s angst, stressed prior to the incident due to their child’s life-threatening ailment, but that is haphazard and unreasonable. A court summons and deposition should be required of medical practitioners through a due process instead of direct arrest to pacify irate families. Families should be able to report cases with ease and encouraged to make their argument in front of a court. Having a viable system would eliminate the need for violent protests. Better education and more awareness on medical ethics is also a critical area for improvement.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 1^st, 2018.

Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.