TAXILA: A woman died from a botched caesarean section performed by an alleged quack in Pindigheb, a town in Attock district.

The incident came to light after the Pindigheb police registered an FIR

against three people including the alleged quack for allegedly risking the life of the woman.

The complainant, Zafar Iqbal, told police that he took his wife to a local maternity home after she went into labour.

He said the owner of the maternity home, his wife and an alleged quack who portrayed himself as a qualified surgeon, performed her C-section.

Mr Iqbal told police that prior to the surgery, the management of the maternity home received Ra41,000 for the operation and Rs6,000 for medications.

He reported that soon after his wife’s operation, her condition deteriorated rapidly and the clinic owner and his wife said that she would need another surgery, for which he paid Rs16,000.

However, her condition did not improve and he then took his wife to another hospital in Fatehjang.

Mr Iqbal told the police that that the man who introduced himself as a surgeon at the hospital was an operation theatre technician while the gynaecologist was not present there.

The Pindigheb police registered a case against the three named suspects and has begun investigating.

Earlier, the president of the Pindigheb Bar Association also lodged an FIR against the same individuals at the same medical facility for malpractice, alleging that they botched a C-section performed on his sister-in-law, who later died from surgical and medical complications.

When contacted, Attock District Health Authority Chief Executive Officer Dr Sohail Ijaz said the health department has not received any complaint from aggrieved

individuals but if the department is approached departmental action could be taken against the management of the facility in light of the rules of the healthcare commission.

Published in Dawn, May 19th, 2020