Probe into doctors’ neglect begins as Nashwa battles for life

A two-member committee of senior most pediatricians, Prof Jamal Raza and Prof MN Laal, on Tuesday summoned the administration of Darul Sehat Hospital at the National Institute of Child Health (NICH) to probe the alleged wrong administration of a drug that paralysed a nine-month-old baby girl, who is currently battling for life at the Liaquat National Hospital (LNH), Karachi.

Nine-month-old Nashwa suffered irreparable brain damage and became paralysed after she was administered a drug wrongly by nursing staff of Darul Sehat Hospital, Karachi, last week, resulting in a strong protest by the parents and civil society, and compelling the authorities concerned to initiate probe into the maltreatment and criminal negligence on the part of the private hospital’s management.

Three parallel probes are underway at the moment, one each by the Sindh police, the Sindh Health Care Commission (SHCC) and the two-member committee formed by the chief minister to fixe responsibility in the Nashwa case, while Darul Sehat Hospital has already admitted its error, offering to bear all the expenses incurred on the treatment of the ill-fated child.

On Tuesday, Executive Director Darul Sehat Hospital Shahzad Alam appeared before the committee at the NICH and presented the hospital’s version and later told newsmen that they were doing their best to support the treatment of child at Liaquat National Hospital.

On the other hand, Liaquat National Hospital said Nashwa was recovering as swelling in her brain was minimizing while she had also started breathing on her own.

They said a team led by a senior pediatric neurologist and other experts were constantly monitoring the health of the child and as soon as her condition improved, she would be taken out of the intensive care unit.