ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Tuesday ordered that a new standard operating procedure (SOP) should be implemented to deal with the issue of theft in the public sector hospitals.

He was hearing a suo motu case regarding theft of medicines and blood from the Polyclinic.

The court directed that strict action should be taken against the violator of the SOP and said the court would take up administrative issues of the hospital and supply of medicines during next hearing.

A doctor of the hospital, requesting not to be quoted, while talking to Dawn said as per normal practice surgeons didn’t give their consent for operation unless they got assurance that the blood was available. “So relatives of patients go to lab and get assurance from technicians on chits that the blood is available,” he said, adding because of internal politics some doctors alleged that the blood was sold through chits and moved court.

However, he said that it was a serious allegation and management of the hospital should hold an inquiry to make things clear.

Published in Dawn, March 29th, 2017