LAHORE :The fragile healthcare system in teaching hospitals in Punjab’s capital has forced another woman to give birth on a road on the premises of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital Friday.
Authorities’ tall claims of health reforms evaporated in thin air as Friday’s incident of childbirth in underpass connecting Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and Fatima Jinnah Medical University occurred within three days of an inhuman response of administration, doctors and staff of THQ Hospital, Raiwind, which forced the woman to deliver the child in front of the gate of the infirmary.
Bushra Riaz, 35, w/o Muhammad Riaz, a resident of Badami Bagh, was brought to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital Thursday evening but, as the family alleged, the hospital staff denied admission to the patient for having been registered for treatment with Kot Khawaja Saeed Hospital. The family claimed that the woman, who was also refused treatment at Lady Willingdon Hospital for the same reason to eventually arrive at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, had to wait overnight in the hope to get the specialised treatment for childbirth at tertiary care hospital, mainly known to be offering Gynae services in the City.
Sources told The News that the hospital administration, on Friday again, denied admission to the pregnant woman in hospital for antenatal care, which forced the family along with the woman to roam around the hospital. Later, as the pains became severe indicating the time for delivery of child, the family took the patient in underpass within the hospital just to avoid the open area to conduct the delivery themselves. After the childbirth, the nurses and paramedics rushed to the place and took the mother and child on a stretcher for postpartum treatment of the mother and the newborn.
Punjab Minister for Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Khawaja Salman Rafique and hospital administration claimed that the woman was admitted on Thursday evening was belied in the DMS Emergency Dr Iram Shahzadi’s notes, which clearly mentioned that the patient was first examined on October 20, Friday morning at 8:05am. However, Dr Iram Shahzadi mentioned in her notes that “the family took the patient for a walk despite being asked to be on premises of hospital. She was pushed suddenly at 11:30am, she was immediately taken to labour room by the hospital staff and nurses, where her baby was received and resuscitated. Her post-natal follow was done.”
Sources told this correspondent that both mother and the child were in a stable condition but kept under observation and most likely would be discharged from the hospital in a couple of days.
The acting Medical Superintendent Dr Sohail Rana suspended Dr Abdul Ghaffar, Director Emergency, from government service with immediate effect due to incidence of childbirth on 20.10.2017 outside the building of emergency department of the hospital. Sources claimed that Medical Superintendent, who is a grade-19 officer, cannot suspend Director Emergency, who is also serving in BPS-19. Another anomaly was pointed out that, as per rules, a faculty member must be appointed Director Emergency, but Dr Abdul Ghaffar, who is an administrative officer, was posted as Director Emergency against rules.
Earlier this year, it is worth mentioning here that an elderly female patient, Zohra Bibi of Tibbi Kambovan, Kasur district, lost her life on the floor of Jinnah Hospital, Lahore because there were no beds available at the medical facility. Investigations into the case had revealed that the woman, who was suffering from multiple complications, including kidney disease, also visited DHQ Kasur, a private hospital on Ferozepur Road, Punjab Institute of Cardiology and Services Hospital, before eventually losing her life to callousness of the health system on the floor of Jinnah Hospital in Lahore.Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) demanded resignation from Ministers and Secretaries of the both Primary & Secondary Healthcare and Specialised Health and Medical Education Departments over their failure to set the health system right, which caused two separate tragic incidents, where two women gave birth to their newborn on road at THQ Hospital, Raiwind and Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.
“The administrative authorities and the doctors responsible in the two incidents should be given exemplary punishment for their criminal negligence, while the morality demands Ministers and Secretaries to step down as such ethics is displayed all over the world over such an inhuman act,” said leaders of PMA in a statement on Friday.
Meanwhile, on the directions of Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique, Secretary Najam Ahmed Shah, on Friday, constituted a 4-member fact-finding committee to probe the incident of child delivery at underpass of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. This committee will present its report within 48 hours. Prof Dr Mehmood Ayaz, Principal of Services Institute of Medical Sciences (SIMS), has been deputed as convener of the committee while Professor of Gynecology Lady Willingdon Hospital Dr Arshad Chohan, Professor of Gynecology Lady Aitchison Hospital Dr Farhat Naaz and Deputy Secretary Health (Technical) Dr Mohsin will work as its members.
Provincial Minister Kh Salman Rafique, during his visit to the hospital, said the patient and her attendants are fully satisfied with the hospital staff but, on the orders of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, an inquiry committee has been constituted to probe the matter and ensure that such sort of incidents could be avoided in future.
Meanwhile, it is also learnt that Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly, Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed, also arrived at the hospital and termed the incident a gross negligence and inefficiency of the Punjab government.
