‘Untimely surgery’: Woman dies during still birth

The hospital was also sealed after the family protested against the doctor for more than four hours.

MULTAN:

A doctor and two nurses were arrested on Saturday in Jalalpur Peerwala after an 18-year-old woman died from what the family called an untimely surgery.  The hospital was also sealed after the family protested against the doctor, who performed the surgery, for more than four hours. 

Bharawan Mai, mother of the deceased, Irshad Bibi, said her daughter was taken to Kainaat Surgical Hospital after she complained of a severe headache and ran high temperature.

She said Dr Arshad told her that Irshad Bibi needed immediate C-section surgery. She said he demanded Rs30,000.

She said she insisted that her daughter was only seven-months pregnant and had not reported pain, but Dr Arshad said her life would be at risk if the surgery was not done.

She said after a two-hour surgery, Dr Arshad informed them that Irshad Bibi had had a still birth and that she, too, had died during the surgery.

The family blocked the National Highway connecting Multan to Lodhran, and Bahawalpur. They accused the doctor of negligence and greed. They demanded that the doctor be arrested immediately.

Police Superintendent (SP)Mehar Rab Nawaz visited the scene and directed the police to arrest the doctor and the nurses. He also ordered for the hospital to be sealed.

Some of the protesters beat up the doctor while he was boarding the police van.

The superintendent of police said initial investigations had revealed that the accused was not a qualified doctor and that the two nurses at his clinic were illiterate. He said the accused had been practicing for several years before setting up the clinic two years ago.

Deputy District Health Officer Dr Muhammad Athar said a separate inquiry will also be conducted into other surgeries performed by the accused.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 17^th, 2013.