SAHIWAL: Civil Lines police on Thursday booked a senior woman doctor and a faculty member of the Sahiwal Medical College (SMC), along with seven paramedics, following the death of a female patient after a “botched” surgery at her private clinic on Wednesday night, allegedly because of their negligence.

Reports said Noureen Akhter, 45, was brought to Dr Safia’s private hospital (Al-Shifa) in the Canal Colony, complaining of pain in her uterus. The doctor performed a three-hour uterus removal operation on July 8.

However, Noureen’s condition remained unstable despite the procedure.

Noureen was admitted to a private room of the hospital.

The family says they repeatedly informed the doctor about the patient’s condition, who then performed a second surgery, just 17 hours after the first one.

The family claims that the seven-hour-long second operation was performed on July 9, during which the patient was transfused nine blood bags after her white blood cells count dropped significantly.

The patient’s family and relatives alleged that Noureen was forcefully discharged by the hospital management and later died at the Sahiwal Teaching Hospital.

They alleged she died due to the negligence of Dr Safia and her paramedical staff.

They staged a protest demonstration against the doctor, blocking a major city road for about three hours. The demonstrators finally ended the protest after police and the district administration assured them that justice would be done. The body was later handed over to police for completion of the legal procedure and the postmortem examination.

Police later registered a case against Dr Safia Izhar and seven of her paramedical staff under sections 322, 148, and 149 of the PPC on the complaint of Noureen’s husband, Imran Ashraf, a resident of Ferozepur Road, Lahore.

According to the First Information Report (FIR), the family alleges they were “forcefully discharged” from the private clinic on the evening of July 9 at 6pm, despite Noureen’s serious condition. They claim that the hospital staff told them the patient’s “inner organs got damaged during the first surgery.”

With no other choice, the family immediately took Noureen to Sahiwal Teaching Hospital, where she passed away within two hours of her admission.

Civil Lines police say that after the postmortem at the DHQ Hospital, samples of the body have been sent for forensic analysis and the body was handed over to the bereaved family for burial.

Complainant Imran Ashraf told Dawn that they want the Punjab Health Commission to intervene and provide them justice.

KIDNAPPED: Ghalla Mandi police booked a man and his seven unknown accomplicesfor allegedly kidnapping a commission agent, keeping him in illegal confinement for five days, besides sexually assaulting and torturing him.

Amir Hussain, a resident of village 133/9-L, said in his complaint to police that he was kidnapped from Fatoh Moor on July 1 by Asif and his seven accomplices and taken to an unknown location in a pick-up van.

He said Asif and his accomplices allegedly tortured and sexually assaulted him for five days, after administering some tranquilising syrup.

The suspects also recorded a video of the episode, threatening him to upload it on social media.

The complainant also alleged that he was deprived of Rs0.94 million by the suspects, who later threw him at a desolate place.

The victim was shifted to Sahiwal Teaching Hospital by a Rescue 1122 team called by a passerby on July 5, where he received treatment for five days.

Civil Lines police registered a case under section 365 (kidnapping or abducting with intent to secretly and wrongfully confine a person) of the PPC.A second-semester female BS student was shot dead, allegedly in an accidental firing by her seven-year-old cousin at village 133/9-L.

SHOT DEAD: As per police sources, the victim, Nimra Noor, was in the courtyard of her house when her uncle arrived with his son, Ali Hasnain (7), who started playing with his father’s loaded pistol.

Suddenly, the pistol went off and the bullet hit Nimra, who died on the spot.

Ghala Mandi police responded to the incident, and following a request by the victim’s family,declared the death “accidental”.

Published in Dawn, July 11th, 2025