Perils of negligence

Another life was lost on Monday at the Chest Surgery Unit of Mayo Hospital due to an alleged adverse drug reaction, sending shockwaves through the ward. Fourteen other patients remain in critical condition after being administered the same injection, raising serious concerns about the safety protocols - or lack thereof - governing medical procedures in public hospitals.

The incident unfolded late Sunday when at least 16 patients received the injection and collapsed soon after. A young girl succumbed within two hours, and then a 28-year-old man the following day. These deaths are a glaring indictment of the systemic flaws plaguing Pakistan's healthcare sector.

This is not the first time substandard or improperly administered drugs have wreaked havoc. In 2012, dozens of cardiac patients at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology died after receiving contaminated medicine. Despite such past disasters, regulatory oversight remains inadequate, and accountability is often elusive.

It is appalling that despite past incidents of drug-related fatalities in public hospitals, no concrete measures have been taken to prevent such disasters. Was the injectable drug properly tested and approved? Were the hospital staff trained to administer it correctly? Or did a lack of oversight allow substandard medicine to be used on unsuspecting patients?

These are not questions to be brushed aside; they demand immediate answers. An independent inquiry should be launched immediately to determine the source of the negligence, whether it lies with the pharmaceutical supplier, the hospital administration, or the medical staff. Moreover, there is an urgent need for stringent drug quality control and a foolproof monitoring mechanism to prevent such disasters in the future.

Public hospitals are meant to be sanctuaries for the sick, not places where medical treatment becomes a gamble. Until systemic reforms are enforced, patients will continue to pay the price for a broken healthcare system.