Court seeks govt’s reply in expired stents case

Petitioner contends recent incident at PIC proof of medical negligence

LAHORE:

Lahore High Court (LHC) Justice Shahid Waheed, issuing notices to the provincial government, sought a reply in two weeks on a plea seeking action against use of expired cardiac stents at Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC).

Petitioner Sardar Farhat Chandio contended that the matter of insertion expired cardiac stents at PIC had surfaced recently, which showed the patients were facing medical negligence at the cardiology institute.

“A mafia is playing with the lives of the patients and destroying the hospital’s image, owing to which people will not trust doctors,” he contended.

“Article 4 of the constitution guarantees protection of the lives of people, while the courts also protect the basic rights of the citizens.”

He contended that the courts had the right to issue directions to ensure protection of the lives of citizens.

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He prayed the court that directions be passed to the authorities concerned to initiate proceedings against those found involved in the scandal. He further prayed that the details of the action or instructions also be summoned from the authorities concerned in connection with the matter.

The petitioner had made respondents the Punjab government, health secretary, PIC chairperson, FIA and Punjab IGP.

Reportedly, the matter of insertion expired cardiac stents surfaced when a DMS (stores) wrote a letter to the PIC medical superintendent, revealing that expired stents had been inserted during treatment of several cardiac patients.

The letter read, “It is stated for your kind notice that the undersigned came to know on August 20 that some expired resolute onyx stents were implanted.”

He added that the stock of all the ‘near expiry’ stents in the main store had also expired. He further said the institute had written to the company concerned a few months ago to replace the stents and gave details of the reminders to the firm, but all in vain.

The petitioner requested a probe into the matter to ascertain why the expired stents were implanted into the cardiac patients and why the near expiry stents were not used before the dates.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 7^th, 2021.