Striking revelations: Hermain’s case opens can of worms for health dept

Victim to crossfire during an armed robbery, four-year old Harmain’s death in Karachi the past week has brought the city of 20 million face-to-face with a problem long marring its provincial department of health.

The Pandora’s box was opened when reports of the child’s post-mortem being stalled for over 10 hours started making headlines in local news. It was later learned that much of it had to do with the city’s severe dearth of medico-legal officers (MLOs).

Reports regarding the unfortunate incident revealed that Karachi, despise its seismic population, has access to a total of 25 medico-legal officers across its government hospitals, out of which only five are female MLOs available for cases like Harmain’s. While according to the provincial health department’s own records, barely nine government hospitals in Karachi have MLO facilities.

These correspond for a total of 91 sanctioned posts, which in addition to male and female MLOs also includes a grade-20 police surgeon and eight grade-19 additional police surgeons.

However, an investigation conducted by The Express Tribune in the regard reveals that one of the reasons for the shortfall of active MLOs, are the two dozen MLOs who remain absent from duty but present on the government’s payroll.

These include female MLOs Dr Ayman Khurshid, Dr Nadia Noor and Dr Sidra Tariq who despite being a no-show for a year-and-a-half, have allegedly been drawing salary every month.

Similarly, MLO Dr Mansoob Ali, who is supposed to be stationed at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC), where Harmain’s case was unprecedentedly stalled, has also been in absentia with fellow officers Dr Vikram, Dr Ali Farfan and Dr Ghazanfar. While Dr Zaibab, a lady MLO, is yet to be posted at a particular hospital.

In addition to that, health department records also highlight that Additional Police Surgeon Dr Zakia Khurshid has been posted as an MLO at the Korangi Hospital. However, the MLO department at the said hospital has long remained non-functional, as all MLOs continuously remain off duty.

Meanwhile, the Sindh health department appears to be in habit of appointing genera doctors to fill positions of police surgeons, who are required to be forensic experts. First, it was Dr Hafeez Abro of General Cadre who was put on this technical post, while the latest appointee is Dr Iftikhar Ahmed, a consultant working for eye unit of the Civil Hospital.

Prevalence of such circumstances have meant that out of the nine government hospitals touted to be equipped with postmortem facilities, only three have access to a working staff of MLOs, while six have neither MLOs nor the capacity to conduct post-mortems. Speaking in the regard, Additional Police Surgeon Dr Karar Abbasi, confirmed that there is a shortage of MLOs in hospitals of Karachi.

“In case of any accident or other mishap, only three public hospitals can present MLO reports after due formalities. Which resultantly creates a rush at these facilities, and the MLO departments have to work under severe pressure. It is on the basis of the MLO reports that proceedings of cases involving violent crime takes place in court, so in turn criminal proceedings and due justice is also withheld,” explained Dr Abbasi.

In regard to Hermain’s case, Additional Police Surgeon Dr Samia Syed, who is posted at JPMC, said there are currently 20 vacancies for female MLOs across Karachi, and she’s written a letter to secretary health, requesting immediate increase in the number of female MLOs in all hospitals of the city.

According to her, the hospital’s MLO department has had to prepare over 12,000 MLO reports and 600 post-mortem reports in the year 2021, owing to which the handful of female MLOs on duty have been working seven days a week without a leave.

“About 100 victims are reported daily for various accidents and incidents at JPMC; including at least 20 reported cases of violence, while only two lady MLOs are available on duty here, putting the entire MLO department under severe pressure,” she told The Express Tribune.