Hospital sealed, fined for quackery

LAHORE

The Punjab Healthcare Commission has imposed a fine of Rs0.5 million, stopped a hospital from working and referred a doctor’s case to the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council for allowing a quack to use his name for performing surgeries.

According to a press release issued here on Monday, the PHC initiated investigation when one Altaf, a resident of Chunian, District Kasur, launched a complaint with the Commission that a quack Ijaz had removed his wife’s uterus without couple’s prior permission, and operated upon his wife Nazia twice to mint money. 

Altaf took his pregnant wife Nazia to Ahmed Surgical Hospital, Kasur. Quack Ijaz and Nurse Abida advised an emergency dilation and curettage (D&C) procedure, asserting that the patient’s life was at risk. The operation deteriorated her condition, which was worsened with the second operation, and she had to be transported to Lahore’s major hospital, where doctors saved her life, and told the couple that she would not become mother again since during the previous operations her uterus had been removed whereas there was no need of the D&C procedure even once.

The PHC investigation found Altaf’s allegations to be true, and imposed a fine of Rs0.5 million, which is the maximum as per the PHC Act, made the hospital dysfunctional and referred the case of Dr Fayyaz Ahmed to the PMDC for legal proceedings since he allowed a quack to work by using his registration.

dengue: Punjab Minister for Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Kh. Salman Rafique has said that due to a change in the weather the dengue season has started, therefore, all government departments and agencies should be ready to combat dengue. He said that indoor and outdoor dengue surveillance and other anti-dengue steps should be taken according to SOPs. He stated this while presiding over a meeting of Cabinet Committee on Dengue at S&GAD Committee Room, Civil Secretariat.