FAISALABAD: The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has strongly reacted to police order summoning a doctor in the case of the death of a patient at the Faisalabad District Headquarters (DHQ) hospital.

A patient identified as Abdul Ghaffar, suffering from hypertension and ischemic heart disease, died at the hospital on January 10 because of cardiogenic shock.

Civil Lines DSP Mohammad Usman summoned the medical superintend (MS) of the DHQ hospital to probe the death of Ghaffar. He asked the MS to probe into the issue and produce the doctor before him on Wednesday (today) along with the record.

The PMA secretary told Dawn police, instructed by former IG Javed Iqbal, were not authorised to entertain the applications of medical negligence as the Punjab Healthcare Commission Act of 2010 was to deal with such issues.

He said the DSP had ignored the order and summoning the doctor was unjust.

He questioned the ability of the DSP to probe a medical issue. He said doctors were ready to brief the family of the deceased man, but not through the police.

He said a number of doctors had been robbed of cash and valuables on roads but police could not trace the criminals.

Besides, the healthcare commission, he said the PMA had also formed an ethical committee.

Dr Irfan said they had given a two-day deadline to senior police officials for action against the DSP and withdrawal of the order, otherwise doctors would call strike.

Published in Dawn March 4th , 2015

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