SHC orders judicial inspection of facilities, security steps at CHK

The Sindh High Court on Thursday appointed a district and sessions judge of Karachi’s South district to inspect the Civil Hospital Karachi and submit a report with regard to security, availability of doctors, medicines and the condition of medical equipment at the hospital.

The appointment decision was taken at a hearing of a petition of a woman, Saba, whose three-year-old son, Noman, had disappeared from the OPD of the hospital’s children ward on May 28.

The petitioner said her son’s whereabouts were still unknown. The medical superintendent of Civil Hospital had earlier submitted in a report that the CCTV camera of the OPD ward was not functional.

The court observed that it was a very unfortunate and serious matter that a three-year-old boy had gone missing from the OPD ward and the CCTV camera was not functional. The petitioner also complained about a lack of proper medical facilities, and unavailability of doctors, medical equipment and medicines.

Additional Chief Secretary Usman Chachar submitted in comments that the medical superintendent had sent a request for a budgetary allocation for the installation of CCTV cameras and their maintenance. He said the request for funds would be forwarded to the finance department shortly so that the problem could be resolved permanently.

Civil Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Sabir Memon said CCTV cameras had been installed at the OPD block and their control had been handed over to the IT department to prevent such incidents in future.

A division bench headed by Justice Naimtaullah Phulpoto observed that the matter pertained to fundamental rights of the citizens, and directed a district and sessions judge along with the senior superintendent of police of District South to inspect the hospital and submit a report on whether its CCTV cameras were functional or not.

The court directed the district and sessions judge to verify if all the equipment installed at the hospital was in a good working condition and sufficient doctors were available with the requisite experience to operate it. The judicial officer will also submit a report about the availability of the required medicine to patients as well as other facilities.

It directed the police officer to submit report about the deployment of cops, especially in respect of the maternity ward where newborn children are kept. The court directed the SSP Investigation South to make efforts for the recovery of missing children by using all modern techniques. It also ordered a joint investigation team session be held for the recovery of the boy. The court told the district judge and police officer to submit their reports by November 8.