PMDC orders inquiry into hospital death

Islamabad

Pakistan Medical and Dental Council President Prof Shabir Lehri on Thursday ordered an inquiry into the recent death of a sanitation worker at the Civil Hospital, Umerkot, due to the alleged denial of treatment by doctors.

The PMDC president told reporters here that after receiving a complaint about the death, he had formed a committee to investigate the matter for action against the culpable people. “This type of discrimination and disgraceful behaviour on part of doctors towards patients is not acceptable at all. It is indeed a very unfortunate. Being a medical practitioner, one should be dedicated to provide competent medical services with full technical and moral independence with compassion and respect for human dignity. Doctors should always strictly ensure emergency care as humanitarian duty,” he said.

Prof Shabir said all medical and dental practitioners should bear in mind the obligations of preserving life and shouldn’t discriminate against patients on the basis of age, gender, class, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, health conditions, marital discord, domestic or parental status, criminal record or any other applicable bias as prescribed by the law.

“We (PMDC) will thoroughly investigate the circumstances, which led to the sanitation worker’s death, and if any doctor is found to be involved in negligence or other illegal act, we will deal him and other culpable people with strictly,” he said.