ISLAMABAD, Nov 8: The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the Punjab prisons police to investigate as to why a prisoner was shifted to an ill-equipped jail health facility, where he eventually died of cardiac arrest, instead of being shifted to a hospital.

On a suo motu notice, a three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, Justice Mohammad Nawaz Abbasi and Justice Saiyed Saeed Ashhad was hearing an application of the heirs of Jam Mohammad Ramzan, who died on April 20 after being shifted to the Lahore Central Jail hospital on the advice of a cardiologist.

“Prima facie this seems to be a case of negligence on part of the doctor who suggested keeping the patient under observation in the jail hospital instead of shifting him to a better hospital outside,” the chief justice observed.

Acting Inspector General Prisons Abdus Sattar is also required to fix liability for the negligence.

“Matters of life and death are rest with Allah Almighty but precautions and proper care can be taken,” the chief justice deplored.

The acting IG conceded that except oxygen, no elaborate arrangement is available in the jail hospital.

He stated that the patient had already gone through the angioplasty procedure and whenever needed was referred to the doctor for follow-up check ups. The visiting cardiologist had declared his condition stable the day the patient expired, though he had advised for admission to the jail hospital under observation.

Earlier additional advocate general Punjab Khadim Hussain Qaiser told the court that the brother, nephew and cousin of the patient, who were also present in the court, had declined to conduct an autopsy on the body.