PHC suspends surgeries in 19 theatres of nine Punjab hospitals

LAHORE: The Punjab Healthcare Commission has directed nine hospitals to suspend surgeries in 19 operation theatres (OTs), and issued show-cause notices to 21 healthcare establishments of five districts for failing to implement the Minimum Service Delivery Standards and violating the PHC Act 2010.

Administrations of the nine hospitals have been directed to suspend surgeries since the operation theatres were not fit for carrying out surgeries. Moreover, show-cause notices have been also served on nine hospitals for not taking requisite measures for the medical waste.

The operation theatres of hospitals of Gujranawal district where the surgeries have been suspended are: four of Gondal Medical Complex, two each of Medicare International Hospital and Siddique Sadiq Memorial Trust Hospital and one of Social Security Hospital.

Other operation theatres where the surgeries have been suspended are: three of Al-Syed Hospital, two of Al-Ihsan Hospital and one of Rawalpindi DHQ Hospital and two each of the City Hospital and Niazi Hospital of Lahore. These hospitals have been also served notices, and directed to submit written replies to the PHC.

The commission has also served show-cause notices on 21 hospitals. Six of them are in Faisalabad district — Faisalabad Institute of Cardiology, National Hospital, Social Security Hospital, Government General Hospital, Independent University Hospital and Aziz Fatima Trust Hospital.

The rest are: Lahore Fountain House, Faiz Memorial Hospital and Ashraf Medical Complex of Sargodha, Niaz Memorial Hospital, Mian Afzal Trust Hospital, Al-Raee Hospital and Sharif Hospital (indoor services closed as well) of Gujranwalla, Bakhtawar Amin Trust Hospital and others.