Staff suspended over alleged violation of medical norms

Video shows questionable practices at Tehsil Hospital

DASKA:

The Medical Superintendent of the Government Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, Dr Adnan, has formed a committee to conduct an inquiry after a video of inappropriate treatment of a pregnant woman visiting the hospital for delivery had gone viral.

In the first phase, an OTA and three nurses have been suspended while six doctors issued show-cause notices.

The video showed that in the operation theater, instead of a female doctor, a male operation theater assistant was performing medical duties.

CEO Health Dr. Aslam Chaudhry said that it was important for any patient to have their private parts covered during an operation while there were only surgeons for the operation.

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The TA's job was to provide necessary medicines and tools while helping the doctor.

According to medical principles, a woman’s honour must be respected in the operation theatre. In the video, the male OTA can be seen stitching the woman's body while in the second video the same OTA, while working as a “doctor”, is also trying very cruelly to put a pipe in the mouth of a child and in the third video the same OTA was also performing an operation.

People had demanded immediate action against all those personnel of the Civil Hospital responsible for treating women inappropriately in the presence of male staff.

A week ago it was reported that the Punjab health department had launched a crackdown against mismanagement and negligence by the administrators of the province’s government hospitals in a bid to improve the health facilities for the people.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 29^th, 2022.