The Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) administration is investigating alleged staff negligence during a surgery which left a patient with serious burns.
A four-member committee will investigate around 10 doctors and nursing staff who were present at the surgical unit of BBH when the incident occurred.
The committee comprises BBH Additional Assistant Medical Superintendent Dr Rafique, Associate Professor Dr Naeem, Dr Masood Pervez and Nursing Superintendent Mumtaz Begum.
The committee’s task is to ascertain whose negligence caused the incident,” said a member of the committee while requesting anonymity. He said CCTV footage of the unit is also available with the administration to ascertain who turned on the heater and why they did not notice it.
The Medical Superintendent (MS) Dr Asif Qadir Mir ordered the committee to furnish the report within three days.
Shoaib Khadim, a resident of Dhamial, was shot and injured when unidentified robbers broke into his shop on February 18.
He was shifted to the hospital, where doctors put him under the knife. Later, the doctors came to know about the burnt fingers when an attendant with Khadim complained that his fingers were perfectly fine when he was shifted to the hospital.
“The doctors did not notice the heater near the stretcher. After the surgery, they found the fingers on his left hand burnt seriously,” said an official.
To hush up the matter, the doctors did not mention the burn injuries in the discharge slip to evade penalty. However, after regaining consciousness, the patient found his hand badly burnt and submitted a written complaint to the MS.
When the MS questioned the doctors, they failed to give a satisfactory reply. “The injuries are severe and the patient may lose his fingers,” claimed the official.
Khadim said he may lose his middle and index fingers as doctors at the CMH expressed their inability to offer any treatment.
The patient was readmitted in the hospital after the MS urged him not to waste time to save his hand. “I am hopeful of his recovery and timely treatment may help us save his fingers,” said the MS.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 23rd, 2014.