LAHORE: The doctors and patients had to face a great deal of inconvenience when the electricity supply to the operating theatres of the Sir Ganga Ram hospital remained suspended for a day due to alleged mismanagement.

The incident occurred when the doctors were conducting operations and they had to use torch and other ways to complete the procedures.

A video clip showing the surgeons doing operation in dimlight later went viral on social media.

The incident irked the higher health authorities who took notice and sought a report from the vice chancellor of the Fatima Jinnah Medical University.

They also dispatched a team of the senior officers to the hospital to conduct a detailed inquiry in order to fix responsibility.

The department directed the visiting team to submit a report at the earliest.

The incidence of mismanagement, particularly of suspension of electricity supply to the major government hospitals, continued to report in Lahore.

Earlier, a similar incident had taken place at Services Hospital in the last week of July when the doctors were forced to perform surgeries without electricity.

Punjab Chief Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi had suspended Services Institute of Medical Sciences principal and the attached Services Hospital medical superintendent in the light of an inquiry report regarding power failure in the operating theatre.

However, the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital medical superintendent escaped ‘the punishment of suspension’ as was awarded to the heads of the Services Hospital.

An official said the ‘selective action’ against the heads of the institutes raised many an eyebrow among the medical community.

He said CM Naqvi during his surprise visit to the Jinnah Hospital had ordered to remove the MS on ‘petty’ complaints of lack of cleanliness.

He said the health department gave additional charge to AMS Dr Yahya Sultan.

On Thursday, the CM also removed Lahore General Hospital MS on ‘poor’ performance.

Published in Dawn, August 11th, 2023