HYDERABAD, March 12: The Hyderabad chapter of the Pakistan Medical Association has demanded that a criminal case instituted against doctors involved in the operation of Shahzadi Sultana should be withdrawn.

Speaking at a news conference at the press club on Sunday, PMA office-bearers Professor Mohammad Hussain Leghari, Dr Rafique Qureshi and Dr Aijaz Qadir Patoli called for a high-level probe into the death of Shahzadi Sultana.

They said that doctors provided treatment to three million people in the country, operated upon 12,000 patients a day and tens of thousands of them get cured. The doctors, who had operated upon Shahzadi, had performed several more operations during the year but none had any complaints against them, they said.

They said as fellow human being they too were aggrieved by Shahzadi’s death, which they said was accidental.

Besides, one should not forget that the patient had been suffering from diabetes, hepatitis C and lung disease when she was admitted to the hospital a year after the operation, they added.

They said Shahzadi’s relatives could not be absolved of their responsibility since they took too long to bring her to the hospital.

They demanded that the health department should provide advanced equipment and instruments to government hospitals and upgrade laboratories.

They urged doctors and paramedical staff to perform their duties with honesty.