LAHORE, Aug 22: The Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) has recommended disciplinary action against Services Hospital’s three gynae unit doctors, including an assistant professor, after a woman patient died of their alleged negligence.

The PHC has referred the case to the health department for action against Assistant Professor Dr Sara Ejaz, Senior Registrar Dr Khadija Waheed and post-graduate trainee Dr Nazish Ishaq, working at the hospital’s Gynae Unit-III.

It is the first case in which the PHC held guilty the doctors of a major teaching hospital of Lahore.

According to PHC communications wing, Afzal Ahmad had filed a complaint some five months ago with the Commission, alleging his 29-year-old wife Khalida died because of complications she developed after a C-section surgery. Khalida was a high-risk patient and the complainant claimed her death could have been prevented if the surgery was conducted by an experienced obstetrics surgeon.

After a detailed investigation into the matter, the PHC found that the surgery had been performed by a trainee (Dr Khadija Waheed) instead of a senior doctor. After thoroughly probing the matter, the PHC recommended a strict action against the doctors involved.

About the procedure of the investigation into such serious allegations, a senior PHC official said that initially a committee comprising senior doctors probed the case of Khalida’s death and then an independent opinion was sought from the lawyers and medical and public health experts.

The purpose, he said, was to build trust of the Commission for both the complaint and the health professionals facing the charges. The final report was forwarded to the PHC board which reviewed it and recommended action, the official said.

He said the health department was asked to inform the Commission about the progress after initiating action against the guilty doctors in accordance with its recommendations.

He said the PHC had been made fully functional for the convenience of the public visiting the health facilities for treatment.

The PHC has also recommended action against Muridke Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Mian M Riaz and a staff nurse, Nasreen, on the complaint of an attendant of a patient.

Complainant Naseem had alleged that the nurse misbehaved with his daughter-in-law admitted to the health facility for delivery. The nurse was held guilty of the charges during the probe launched by the PHC.

The action against THQ hospital MS was recommended for his disregard of duty in the maintenance of clinical record and for misleading the Commission during the investigation. The PHC and sought a report from the health department about implementation of the recommendations.