Court told non-Covid patients turned away
Lawyer claims patients denied admission without coronavirus certificate
A file photo of the Sindh High Court.
KARACHI:
The Sindh High Court issued on Thursday notices to the federal government, Sindh government, health secretary and other parties, seeking their replies on a petition complaining of hospital staff not properly attending to patients suffering from other illnesses than the coronavirus.
Advocate Asim Iqbal claimed before the court that any patient brought to either a government or a private hospital was tested for the coronavirus before being admitted to an emergency ward.
SHC orders Sindh govt to give relief to ‘needy lawyers’
"At private hospitals, accident victims are asked to get tested for the coronavirus before being admitted," he said, adding that patient were denied admission if they were unable to produce a coronavirus certificate. "And until they are tested, they continue to suffer in agony."
The advocate questioned, "What law permits [hospitals] to ask for a coronavirus certificate before admitting a patient to an emergency ward?"
SHC seeks pillion-riding ban SOPs
He called for taking action against negligent doctors, making it mandatory for hospitals to provide immediate medical assistance to all patients, and healthcare facilities being ordered to open out-patient departments immediately.
The court ordered the parties to submit replies on the plea by May 13.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 8th, 2020.
The Sindh High Court issued on Thursday notices to the federal government, Sindh government, health secretary and other parties, seeking their replies on a petition complaining of hospital staff not properly attending to patients suffering from other illnesses than the coronavirus.
Advocate Asim Iqbal claimed before the court that any patient brought to either a government or a private hospital was tested for the coronavirus before being admitted to an emergency ward.
SHC orders Sindh govt to give relief to ‘needy lawyers’
"At private hospitals, accident victims are asked to get tested for the coronavirus before being admitted," he said, adding that patient were denied admission if they were unable to produce a coronavirus certificate. "And until they are tested, they continue to suffer in agony."
The advocate questioned, "What law permits [hospitals] to ask for a coronavirus certificate before admitting a patient to an emergency ward?"
SHC seeks pillion-riding ban SOPs
He called for taking action against negligent doctors, making it mandatory for hospitals to provide immediate medical assistance to all patients, and healthcare facilities being ordered to open out-patient departments immediately.
The court ordered the parties to submit replies on the plea by May 13.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 8th, 2020.