LAHORE: The Supreme Court ordered to conduct forensic audit of the National Hospital (Defence).

The chief justice had taken a suo motu notice of exorbitant rates of private hospitals and summoned their owners/shareholders. Notices were issued to the Doctors Hospital, Surgimed Hospital, Omar Hospital, Hameed Latif Hospital, Midcity Hospital, National Hospital (Defence), Farooq Hospital and Al-Raazi Hospital.

Healthcare Commission CEO Wasim Ajmal had presented profit report of the National Hospital as Rs5 million per day. He also told the court that the hospital had earned Rs3.9 million in the last two days and Rs1.2 million were paid to the consultants.

The CEO said Rs1 million was the daily profit of the pharmacy of the hospital.

The CJP remarked why they should not order forensic audit of the hospital. He also said hospital should provide facilities to the patients and it should not be used for commercial purposes.

The CJP also said the hospital was charging Rs50,000 per day for a room from the patient and no five-star hotel charged this money from its customers. He also sought report of map and construction details of the hospital.

HAMEED LATIF HOSPITAL: The CJP ordered to demolish illegal constructions/encroachments around Hameed LatIf Hospital.

A two-member bench was hearing case against Hameed Latif Hospital. “We want to give you respect and also oblige you,” he remarked. He said the hospital should be a model for others. “We want that a common patient from Misri Shah could get treatment from the hospital.”

The LDA director general told court that the hospital was involved in violating rules and had encroached upon the state land. The CJP ordered to demolish every encroached part of the hospital.

Dr Rashid Latif told the court that they had allocated 30 beds for the poor patients and also minimised the fee rate around 45 per cent.

Justice Ijazul Ahsan said why they were not implementing court order of implanting heart stent for Rs100,000 instead of Rs200,000 to 250,000.

The CJP directed the LDA DG to take action against the illegalities and submit its report in a week.

WATER COMPANIES: The Supreme Court on Sunday ordered a private water company to submit its five-year record in court.

A two-judge bench was hearing a suo motu case against extraction of groundwater by the companies at the Supreme Court’s Lahore registry.

The court also ordered to submit water samples report as soon as possible.

Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan appeared as legal counsel for the water companies before the court and the CJP asked him why the mineral water factories could not be sealed until they submit record and water samples reports.

The CJP said being a lawyer of a big company did not mean that you would not obey court orders and no one could sell water without obeying orders.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2018