Doctors’ alleged negligence claims woman’s life

A woman lost her life in the gynaecology ward of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) hospital due to the alleged negligence of doctors.

According to sources, the pregnant woman died after she was allegedly given an expired dose of anaesthesia during delivery. Two other pregnant women’s health also deteriorated after they were allegedly given the expired anaesthesia dose. The two pregnant women were immediately shifted to the hospital's ICU in critical condition, the sources said.

According to the sources, the hospital administration attempted to hush up the matter before the deceased woman’s relatives filed a complaint to the health ministry seeking an inquiry into the matter.

Taking notice of the complaint, health minister Qadir Patel ordered an inquiry and sought a report from the PIMS’s hospital administration within 24 hours.

According to the sources, a three-member committee has been constituted by the PIMS hospital’s administration to probe the matter.

According to available documents, 27-year-old Shah Taj, who was admitted to the gynaecology ward of the PIMS hospital, died due to alleged negligence of the doctors.

Sources said that Shah Taj was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday and underwent an operation on Thursday morning and she gave birth to a baby girl. Omar Taj Lodhi, Shah Taj's brother, said that his sister started having fits and seizures while being shifted to the ward from the labour room. He said that when her health started deteriorating, the hospital staff shifted her to the surgical ward and also carried out a CT scan.

He said that hours prior to her surgery, Shah Taj came downstairs to the gynaecology ward without the support and she also did not have an abnormal medical history.

Omar Lodhi alleged that his sister died due to the negligence of the hospital's doctors and the nursing staff.

Omar Lodhi alleged that Shah Taj was kept at the PIMS’ surgical ICU for two days, while she was dead, to hush up the matter.

PIMS gynaecology ward in-charge Dr Zuafshan Jabeen Fatima said that a high-level inquiry has been constituted to launch an inquiry into the matter. She said that 25 to 30 surgeries were being carried out at the gynaecology ward on daily basis and apart from this case, no complaints have been received from any patient.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 6^th, 2022.