CADD minister says no one will be spared

Islamabad

No government servant — regardless of the power and clout that he may enjoy by virtue of his position — will be spared if found involved in moral turpitude. Deterrent punishment will be awarded to all administrators, doctors, nurses, and paramedical staff whose negligence during duty hours led to the “attempted rape” of a disabled patient by male nurse Krishan Kumar here in the surgical ICU of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS). Administrative weaknesses that led to the horrible incident will also be ascertained and rectified.

High-sounding assurances to this effect were made by Minister of State for Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry during a media briefing in which he shared findings of the initial investigation of the incident at PIMS.

“The initial investigation has found that the 22-year-old girl was sexually molested by the male nurse. The case will be referred to as one of ‘sexual molestation’ and ‘attempt to rape’ till final confirmation through laboratory reports, which are expected within one to four weeks,” Dr. Tariq stated.

“The culprit has been arrested by the police, and action for his termination from service has been initiated. All ICU staff including doctors, nurses and paramedics who were absent from duty at the time of the incident have also been suspended,” Tariq stated, terming the gory episode as “the first reported incident of its kind at PIMS.” The suspended staffers are Dr. Shahab, nurse Shahida Kausar, ward boy Akhtar Ali, and sanitary worker Moris.

Dr. Tariq stated that there were no eye-witnesses of the incident and that current investigations under a three-member committee have been started on the basis of a complaint lodged by the victim’s father, as well as the statement of the victim who, on account of her inability to speak, tried to share her predicament through hand and body movements and gestures. Most of the patients in the ICU were in a state of unconsciousness when the incident took place.

The three-member committee, which comprises senior professors Dr. Abid Farooqi, Dr. Shazia Farooqi, and Dr. Rauf Niazi, based their findings on statements of the victim, her father and duty staff members, as well as review of forensic evidence and analysis of chronological sequence of events.

“The DNA samples have been sent to Lahore, and reports received there from will confirm the severity of the molestation,” Dr. Tariq said.

The fact that not a single staff member was present on duty in the surgical ICU, where patients are supposed to get uninterrupted and undivided attention, is evidence enough to merit ruthless and exemplary action against the hospital’s administration, as well as all doctors, nurses and paramedics whose absence from duty facilitated the culprit.

Responding to a query, Dr. Tariq said the installation of cameras in ICUs is against ethics as an effort is made to uphold the privacy of such patients.