March 16, 2006

There was a popular joke about a doctor who left a knife in the stomach of the patient and had to open him up again to retrieve it, only to find out later that he had left something else inside, at which the patient fed up with his ordeal said, “Doctor why don’t you put a zip instead of stitches to make things easy for both of us.” What was once a joke is now a reality as we hear of doctors leaving behind something or the other in the stomach of patients they operate.

In just one month two such incidents have been reported in the Press. The first case was of a woman in Karachi who had an operation and the doctors left a piece of sponge inside her. After months of excruciating pain, in which needless medication was consumed by the unfortunate woman, it was discovered that there was something alien in her stomach. She was operated on and the sponge was removed.

The other woman from Hyderabad was not so fortunate. Shahzadi Shahida Sultana, wife of a poor rickshaw driver, had a Caesarean section last year. The doctors left a pair of forceps inside her. She suffered severe abdominal pain for a year. After many investigations the real cause was finally discovered. Another operation was done to retrieve the scissors but she did not survive and died during the operation leaving behind two minor daughters, one of whom suffers from a kidney disorder. The negligence did not just kill one person, it destroyed a whole family.

What is happening to the medical profession should be a matter of concern for everyone. The general falling of standards in other professions seems to have pervaded the medical profession, too. These incidents usually happen in relatively little known hospitals and the victims come from the middle and poor classes. However, such incidents have taken place in some well-known hospitals as well, but they do not get a lot of publicity. These cases might not necessarily be of things being left behind after an operation but of unnecessary delay due to long procedures, costing a life or even an unnecessary operation that can be avoided but has been scheduled to ensure that the operation theatre does not have an empty slot.

After the above mentioned incidents that were reported in detail in the Press, there were expectations that the regulatory bodies would instantly spring into action and at least disbar the culprits involved. This is standard practice in the West where any such unprofessional conduct is dealt with severely and urgently. Unfortunately no such action has been taken so far.

On the other hand, there have been demonstrations by doctors and para-medical staff in Hyderabad to prevent the police from registering any case. Surely the medical fraternity cannot condone such acts and must stand up, not only to root out such behaviour but also to ensure that relatives of the victims get justice and their erring colleagues get the punishment they rightly deserve.

The government should also take necessary steps to ensure that the rights of the patients are protected. While we are amending the Hudood Ordinances and introducing new legislation against honour killing and other injustices, there is a need of new legislations to make it easier for victims of medical neglect to get speedy justice.

The reason why doctors are so careful in the western countries is that they fear legal suits. And if the charges of negligence are proved, they are financially ruined. In Pakistan, there is no fear of either the civil or criminal procedures; therefore often patients are treated with carelessness, bordering on criminal conduct. The present situation requires equal efforts from PMDC (Pakistan Medical and Dental Council) and the ministry of health so that the good name of those Pakistani doctors who are working tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of patients, is not tarnished due to the follies of a handful of practitioners who seem to have forgotten their sacred oath.

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