SHC seeks details of medical board’s meetings over negligence

Boy's arm was amputated after he was given 'wrong' injection at Razia Medical Centre

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court sought on Thursday details of all the meetings called by the medical board over the alleged negligence of doctors at Razia Medical Centre (RMC), a private hospital, leading to the amputation of the arm of a 12-year-old boy, Hamza Rehan. The court also summoned the health secretary on the matter.

The directives were issued by a two-member bench, comprising Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Yousuf Ali Sayeed, while hearing a plea that maintains Rehan's arm had to be amputated after he was administered the wrong injection.

The deputy advocate general informed the court that the Sindh Health Care Commission (SHCC) had imposed a fine of Rs500,000 on the hospital for medical negligence. The court, however, inquired whether the license of the delinquent doctor had been suspended by SHCC or not. At this, the deputy advocate general replied that no doctor had been fined so far.

At this, the court asked about the findings of the inquiry conducted by the SHCC into the matter, asking what led to the amputation of the boy's arm.

In its report submitted to the court, the SHCC identified reaction to an injection as the probable cause of the amputation. The report states that the boy had contracted a fever following which he was administered an injection at the hospital. However, he had to be later shifted to Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital, Karachi (CHK) after he complained of pain in his arm, the report elaborates, adding that his arm was amputated after a surgery at CHK.  The public prosecutor maintained that it takes more than 24 hours for gangrene to develop.

The court also inquired about the money collected on account of the fine. An SHCC official informed the court that it was deposited in the provincial government's account. Then who will compensate for the loss of the affected child, wondered the court.

Later, pointing out that the "inquiry conducted by SHCC was incomplete," the public prosecutor contended that while the hospital was fined, no doctors responsible for the negligence were identified.

Rehan's father lamented before the court that the police had even refused to register an FIR of the incident.

The chief medical officer informed that court that instead a medical board, formed on the instructions of Sindh government, was carrying out an inquiry and separately, Sindh Services Hospital's medical board too has issued a report on the matter. The report concludes that negligence on part of RMC couldn't be proved, he said.

The court commented that all the doctors included in the board were incompetent. Justice Mazhar further berated the chief medical officer, saying that report lacks many details. "At least Google details about gangrene and add them in the report," he rebuked.

Expressing ire, the court remarked, "On whose recommendations are such doctors hired? Where do such incompetent people come from? Their incompetence should be reported by newspapers." It is because of such institutions that a trust deficit exists between the public and the government, the court commented.

Seeking RMC's reply on the matter, the court ordered that details about the facilities available at the hospital, its doctors and other staff be presented at the next hearing. It also summoned the doctor who treated Rehan and all doctors constituting the medical board. Moreover, it directed that details of meeting called by the medical board on the matter be presented to the court at the next hearing on January 28, and ordered that the health secretary too appeared before the court on the day.

Stay extended

The same bench extended on Thursday a stay order issued against the construction of Askari Tower on a piece of land in Askari IV, claimed to be an amenity plot by the petitioners.

Hearing a plea filed by the residents of Askari IV, who have challenged the construction of the commercial high-rise on a plot they say was allocated for the construction of a mosque or park, the court also directed the Faisal Cantonment Board to submit the original master plan of the area.

According to the cantonment board's reply submitted on the plea, the land was allocated for "future construction," not specifically that of a park or mosque, as per the master plan.

Challenging this reply, counsel for the petitioners Moiz Jaffery accused the cantonment board of changing the master plan after the matter was taken to the court. He said it was not the first example of such misconduct by the cantonment board, adding that records of multiple pieces of land could be presented to prove its misdeeds.

At this, a cantonment board official argued that various other commercial buildings were being constructed in the area but no objection was raised over them.

Jaffery, however, maintained before the court that the cantonment board has been involved in the illegal construction of several buildings and requested that original master plan be sought from the board.

On the counsel's appeal, the court ordered the cantonment board to submit the original master plan and extended the stay on the construction of Askari Tower. It also issued directives for the relevant authorities to submit all original documents pertinent to the plot by February 12.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 17^th, 2020.