LAHORE: The Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) has ordered suspension of all kinds of surgeries and the operation theatre services at a private hospital for carrying out botched-up surgeries of two namesake women, and issued a show-cause notice to its administration.

A PHC spokesperson said the two patients, both named Kausar Parveen, were brought to the Independent Hospital, Faisalabad, from different areas of the district. One of them was to be operated upon for a gallbladder issue, while the other was admitted to the hospital for knee surgery.

He said though their CNICs carried different surnames, the house officer, Dr Hassan, did not pay heed to their documents while preparing the operation list. He added that the equally heedless surgeon, Prof Dr Awais Shuja, carried out the botched operations as per the list without following the standard operating procedures (SOPs) of the surgical department.

For investigation, a two-member PHC inquiry team inspected the hospital, besides recording statements of patients and medics concerned.

Based on the findings, the PHC suspended all surgical and OT services except for emergency procedures, he said. The spokesperson said the surgical blunder also occurred due to the non-availability of updated culture and sensitivity reports of the patients and the placing of operation tables without any physical separation in the complex where multiple surgeries are conducted simultaneously.

Moreover, the PHC has suspended all services being rendered by Prof Awais Shuja till further orders. The commission has also issued a show-cause notice to the hospital administration for taking further action on the medical negligence.

Official sources said that one of the patients had also question the hospital staff for marking her knee, saying she was to be operated for gallbladder issue.

They said that the hospital has also been barred from treatment of patients under Sehat Card scheme.

Published in Dawn, June 17th, 2023