ISLAMABAD, April 19: It may be wordplay to say ‘doctors bury their mistakes’, but in Pakistan it certainly is next to impossible to hold someone in the profession responsible - much less punish - for his or her deadly mistakes.

In America, doctors and hospitals live in terror of a breed of lawyers called “ambulance-chasers” who pursue and persuade patients to sue their doctor for complications arising from their treatment. Here we have the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) to investigate complaints of medical negligence to implement the law.

A source at the PMDC said they had received a number of complaints against doctors from different parts of the country but action against the negligent ones was still awaited.

The source said at present there were about 200 complaints with the PMDC against doctors for alleged medical negligence.

“Recently, a dental doctor along with a famous local gastro physician were charged with medical negligence but they got stay orders from the court of law, leading to delayed action against them by the PMDC,” added the source.

The copy of a patient’s complaint (seen by Dawn) about medical negligence by a dentist depicts a sad description. “I went to three doctors and all of them damaged my teeth. The last one who operated upon me damaged my fourth teeth and I have to undergo surgery from abroad,” noted a female patient in her complaint filed with the PMDC.

Another applicant noted that a wrong death certificate regarding a murder by a medico-legal officer almost landed an innocent individual in trouble. “The individual was all set to be given a death penalty by a judge. However, later it emerged that the medico-legal officer had issued wrong certificates to both the parties, and the registration of the doctor was cancelled,” said one of the officials.

Clause 31 of the PMDC Ordinance 1962 empowers the council to cancel the registration of a negligent doctor. It says: “The council (PMDC) in its discretion may refuse to permit the registration of any person or direct the removal altogether, for a specified period, of the name of any registered medical practitioner or dentist who has been convicted of any such offence; has been held by the council guilty of infamous conduct in any professional respect or who has shown himself to be unfit to continue in practice on account of ill mental health or other grounds.”

The source said the PMDC committee to probe medical negligence cases was headed by Senator Aitzaz Ahsan. “No framework has been defined for the sitting of the committee and it meets on the availability of Senator Ahsan who is busy for most part of the year,” the source maintained.

It was also learnt that the council had recently decided that doctors who were facing any charge and proven guilty in any part of the world for any medical negligence would face the same in Pakistan.

However, the source added: “This recently approved clause (that a similar punishment as awarded in any country will be implementable in Pakistan) is yet to be made part of the PMDC regulations.”

It may be noted that several Pakistan physicians, who were clipped of their practicing licences in the United States and other countries, have returned and are continuing practice in the country.

Meanwhile, when contacted, a senior official of the PMDC said they were open to complaints lodged by patients against doctors accused of medical negligence.

“Complaints can be sent to the registrar, the legal head of the PMDC, or even to the president regarding any negligence of doctors for further legal action,” added the official.

Asked why there was delay in holding the committee meetings, he claimed: “A meeting will be held under Senator Ahsan soon to address the issues related to medical negligence.”

Regarding the punishments, he said: “The council’s recommendations, specifically regarding the implementation of similar punishments as given in any other country to Pakistani doctors, will be notified and become part of PMDC regulations soon.”