The Zimri Orthopedic Hospital in Islamabad has been slapped with a Rs. 1 million fine after a tragic incident in which a patient lost his life during surgery due to criminal negligence.
The Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority (IHRA) took this action due to the mishandling by a surgeon and anesthetist.
In July, Mohammad Sajid, 54, was admitted to the hospital after a bad accident left him with a fractured and dislocated lower right leg.
After paying Rs. 250,000 for the operation and undergoing necessary medical tests, he was set for surgery on 12 July. However, things went wrong in the operation theatre.
His son, Hamza, was later informed that Sajid had a cardiac arrest during the surgery. What made it worse was that the hospital didn’t immediately tell Hamza about his father’s death.
According to the FIR, the patient’s death is believed to be a result of the doctors’ criminal negligence.
Dr. Fareedullah Khan Zimri, who owns the hospital, three other doctors, and a couple of staff members were nominated in the FIR.
The IHRA has also fined the anesthetist Obaidullah Rs.500,000 for falsely claiming to be a qualified anesthetist. Both the surgeon and anesthetist now face further review by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) due to this incident.
According to IHRA’s investigation, the hospital showed serious mismanagement and malpractice. It emphasized that the anesthetist was not actually qualified, and thus slapped him with a hefty fine.
The IHRA stated, “Both the surgeon and anesthetist have been found negligent and their case is now with the PMDC for appropriate action.”
Furthermore, the hospital has been given a month to ensure that its systems for surgery and anesthesia are improved. After this period, IHRA will verify the improvements to ensure safer surgeries in the future.
Hamza expressed his grief, saying, “Losing my father this way was heart-wrenching. It was a routine ankle surgery. The surgeon didn’t even meet my father before the operation and was unaware of his health history.”
Source: Pro Pakistani