LAKKI MARWAT: It has come to light that numerous medics and nursing staffers at the Lakki Marwat City Hospital are involved in the practice of illegal abortions – both inside and outside the premises of the government health facility.
It all started when a midwife at the hospital’s labour room demanded Rs3,000 from Ghulam Dastagir’s wife, a resident of Essa Khel, for a legal abortion sanctioned by doctors. Speaking to the media, Dastagir said the staffer told his wife that she used to charge up to Rs10,000 for the job at private clinics.
“My wife had a pregnancy complication and the doctors had advised her to abort the child.”
The cab driver said they were told the operation will be conducted only after the sum is paid. “I went to hospital MS Ghulam Ali to register a complaint. Ali told me the staffers are not permitted to accept charges and took action against them.”
He said midwife Nasim Bibi and labour room in-charge Amna Danyal were made to return the money that he paid. They never carried out the abortion and Dastagir had to take his wife elsewhere for help. “It was all legal until I was willing to pay the money. As soon as I complained, they refused to carry out the operation and termed the case illegal,” added the cab driver.
Although both Nasim and Amna were served with show-cause notices and their salaries were stopped, the incident blew the lid from the entire industry. Hospital sources confirm labour room staffers are involved in carrying out illegal abortions against good money.
The deal is simple. We help you out and keep it in the dark; you make sure the bills are on the table. A hospital official said these nurses not only demand money for several services, they run private clinics on the side where such cases are forwarded.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 7th, 2015.
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