Torturing mental patients, drug addicts: CJP directs action against private hospital owner

LAHORE: Chief Justice of Supreme Court Justice Mian Saqib Nisar on Saturday directed Punjab police and health officials to take action against owner of a private hospital.

His direction came after Punjab Additional Advocate General Shan Gul submitted a report regarding torture of mental patients at hospitals. The report stated that at the name of treatment mental patients are being tortured in hospitals, said a report submitted in Supreme Court on Saturday.

Following the report chief justice has directed IG Punjab and healthcare commission to take action against all such hospitals which tortured mental patients.

A three-member full bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar heard the case pertaining to mistreatment with the patients addicted to drugs at various hospitals. Shan Gul also submitted a detailed report about the under treatment drug addict patients who were recently recovered from Aamir Chishti Hospital. As many as 215 patients under treatment were recovered from the hospital.

It was also disclosed in the report the under treatment patients were being beaten with iron rods and other objects. The court was informed that the hospital owner has been arrested after registering a case against him and the police are raiding in different areas for the arrest of others.

Justice Umar Atta of the bench remarked that in fact these were private jails not hospitals where patients are being tortured at the name of treatment.

The top court judge ordered ceiling of Amir Chishti Hospital in Faisalabad and Sheikhupura.