PIMS director, three officers suspended in woman’s death case

Several office bearers of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), including its Director and head of Infectious Diseases Department, have been suspended for their alleged negligence which led to the death of a woman in the gynaecology ward of the hospital last week.

Moreover, orders have also been issued to seal the Mother and Child Health Care Dispensary at the healthcare facility.

Health Minister Abdul Qadir Patel in a message released on a social networking website said that no one can pay the price for the lives of the people.

A woman lost her life in the gynecology ward of PIMS last week. In the light of the report of the inquiry into the matter, the health minister suspended the PIMS director, head of infectious diseases department, incharge of pharmacy, MCH director, a Pharmacist and two doctors, while also ordering to seal the hospital's Mother and Child Healthcare dispensary.

The Ministry of Health has issued a formal notification regarding the said move.

Earlier, Shah Taj, 27, who was admitted to the PIMS gynaecology ward, reportedly died due to alleged negligence on the part of the staff of the hospital. Taj was all okay a few hours before the operation, and she came down the stairs of the ward herself and also had no medical history, said her brother Omar Lodhi, who said that she was allegedly kept in the surgical ICU for two days in a dead condition so that the matter could be suppressed. When the incident came to light, Health Minister Qadir Patel demanded a report from the PIMS Board within 24 hours.

The minister said that no one would be allowed to play with human lives.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 9^th, 2022.