KARACHI: While a previous report of the Sindh Healthcare Commission (SHCC) held the National Medical Centre (NMC) responsible for medical negligence in the Amal Umar death case, the commission’s chairperson has given a clean chit to the health facility and reportedly submitted her view before the Supreme Court.

The latest turn of events shocked the parents of 10-year-old Amal who died in August 2018 allegedly because of medical negligence of the hospital concerned after she suffered a bullet wound during an exchange of gunfire between police and criminals.

According to her parents, she was taken to the NMC, where she was denied treatment and the family was told to take her either to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre or to the Aga Khan University Hospital. Amal had died due to the delay in her treatment.

An earlier report of the SHCC found clear evidence of misconduct on the part of the NMC for not providing basic emergency care in time to the patient.

The report of Nargis Ghaloo absolving NMC of negligence is in contrast with SHCC’s previous findings

Her parents, who were called multiple times by the SHCC for recording their statements, blamed the regulatory authority of “collusion with the hospitals”.

The SHCC, however, said it was a “sub judice” matter so it could not respond to any allegations levelled by the deceased girl’s parents.

“The SHCC report shared with us on November 13 after a thorough investigation clearly states that the National Medical Centre should be penalised on their negligence and callousness,” said Amal’s father Umar Adil.

“On the other hand, the SHCC chairperson’s [Nargis Ghaloo] conclusion that was later submitted directly to the Supreme Court is in blatant contrast to their own findings. [We are] shocked at this discrepancy. If the regulatory body colludes with hospitals then what’s the use of passing any law?”

Mr Adil also shared the copies of the two documents — a report which he claimed to have received in November from the SHCC officials as their findings of the probe into the role of the hospital and the other was a statement from the regulatory body’s chairperson which, according to him, was submitted to the apex court on the same matter.

The two documents are in contrast with each other as the document shared with the parents had found the NMC “liable”, while the second one submitted to the apex court reportedly declared the health facility “not liable” of the charge of medical negligence.

A copy of the SHCC report titled “Conclusion”, which was shared with the parents, proposes Rs500,000 penalty on the hospital after finding “clear evidence of misconduct on part of the NMC for not providing the basic emergency care timely to the patient”.

“They tampered the documents,” said the report referring to the NMC’s conduct. “It was evident that parents were counselled about the critical condition of the patient. Ambo bag was refused while shifting the baby Amal for maintaining her breathing during the transfer of the patient to another healthcare facility in their personal vehicle. They refused to send paramedic staffs along as per Section 6 (1) of The Sindh Injured Persons (Medical Aid) Act, (SIPMA) 2014. Even if the patient, baby Amal, had any bleak chances of survival they were negated due to delay and inefficient time management.”

The death of Amal had sparked public anger and questions were raised over police performance as well as the negligence of hospitals in such cases. Finally, the Supreme Court had taken suo motu notice of the incident and held multiple hearings.

Amid other components of the tragedy, the role of private hospitals while handing critical and life-threatening cases come under the spotlight, which led the apex court to order a probe into the alleged negligence of the NMC in the Amal death case.

Only last month, Amal’s parents expressed their satisfaction on the finding of the SHCC probe into the alleged negligence of the private hospital and other aspects of the case.

However, the fresh episode has changed everything for them.

Mr Adil also shared the statement of the SHCC chairperson Ghaloo, declaring the NMC not liable of the medical negligence.

“In light of the aforementioned it is most respectfully submitted that I chairperson Ms Nargis Ghaloo is of the independent view that NMC is not liable for medical negligence after taking the said inspection report as well as views of the medical experts, also the statements of the concerned NMC doctor, nurse and the technician, the preliminary report submitted by director complaint Dr Amir,” said the second report shared by Mr Adil.

Published in Dawn, December 17th, 2019