FAISALABAD: A case has been registered against the medical superintendent of a Nankana Sahib hospital and three others on charges of running an illegal clinic at Tandlianwala.

It is learnt that action has been taken against MS Dr Rana Asfandyaar as he was not dropping an inquiry initiated against a lady doctor who is the sister-in-law of a senior government officer serving in Punjab. The clinic of the MS also been sealed although it’s the prerogative of the Punjab Healthcare Commission to seal the clinic of any qualified person.

The FIR reads that used government medicines have also been recovered during the raid conducted by Deputy District Officer Health Dr Ali Muhammad and the assistant commissioner.

Submitting an application to the Garh police, the DDO said he along with the AC Tandlianwala checked a nameless clinic where a drip was being administered to a child whose parents were also present. Three people were also present and they introduced themselves as doctors. However, they were found quacks when questioned, the FIR reads.

He said Bilal revealed that the clinic belonged to Dr Asfandyaar who occasionally visits it and the entire tasks are being done with his consent.

During checking of the clinic, he said used government medicines and syringes were also recovered from the spot. Bilal also connected a call and the responder identified himself as Dr Asfandyaar, MS of the Nankana hospital. The DDO said the MS threatened him with dire consequences and also asked to refrain from sealing the clinic.

Sources said action had been taken against the MS as he was not ready to drop proceedings against a lady dental surgeon who was the sister-in-law of a deputy secretary. They said the MS had been warned to refrain from moving against the lady who was not joining her duty for a couple of months.

They said despite the resistance by the MS the lady succeeded to have her contract renewed.

A senior officer of the health authority said only the PHC could seal the clinic of any qualified doctor and it was established that MS attended his clinic. He said the clinic was raided at about 2:30pm which was the official duty time of the MS. However, he said it was wrong that clinic was operational in the absence of MS.

It is also yet to be established whether the used medicines recovered from the spot were property of the government or all were physicians samples, he added.

The MS was contacted on the cell number mentioned by the applicant in the FIR, however, neither he received the call nor replied to the SMS.

Pakistan Medical Association Faisalabad chapter secretary Dr Muhammad Irfan, who is also an assistant professor of medicine at the Allied Hospital, said they demanded Punjab Minister for Health Dr Yasmeen Rashid to order an independent inquiry into the issue and decide fate of the doctor within 48 hours. He said if an institution head would be penalised this way, how the presence of the doctors would be ensured in the hospitals for treatment of the patients.

Published in Dawn, May 31st, 2021