Two doctors acquitted in Hangu hospital negligence case

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Friday overturned the convictions of two doctors who were previously sentenced in a case involving the alleged death of a patient due to medical negligence during surgery at a hospital in Hangu.

The case was heard by a single-member bench of Justice Salahuddin. The accused, Dr Muhammad Asghar and anesthesiologist Dr Zamir, were represented by Advocate Daniyal Asad Chamkani.

According to the prosecution, the doctors were accused of negligence and administering an excessive dose of anesthesia, which allegedly led to the death of a patient named Abdul Rehman during surgery. Based on a complaint filed by the deceased’s family, a case was registered against the doctors at the local police station. Following a trial, a session judge in Hangu had convicted the doctors and imposed a fine of Rs2.3 million.

However, during the hearing at the PHC, the defense counsel argued that the allegations against the doctors were baseless and that the conviction was solely based on an internal inquiry conducted by the Health Department. He maintained that there was no additional evidence to support the charges, and relying solely on the departmental report was unjustified.After hearing the arguments, the court accepted the appeal, annulled the verdict of the lower court, and acquitted both doctors of all charges.