KARACHI, July 13: The Sindh health department committee assigned to probe the alleged theft of a gall bladder patient’s kidney during surgery by a doctor has failed to give any result.

Sindh Health Minister Shabbir A. Qaimkhani had on July 7 ordered the inquiry following complaint by a patient, Mohammad Kashif, that Dr Syed Kashif Mateen, who had operated upon him for the removal of his gall bladder, had stolen his healthy kidney. The three-member committee was required to submit its findings and recommendations within five days.Chairman of the committee Dr Ashfaque Hussain Memon, the Additional Secretary (Technical) of the department, said that despite efforts, he could not see the aggrieved patient, Mr Kashif , nor could he hear something from him directly.

He said he could not also meet the accused, who was remanded to police on Wednesday.

Dr Memon said that due to the non-availability of the victim patient, he could not get the required information that could have enabled him to quiz the doctor.

He said he repeatedly visited the medical centre in North Nazimabad where the patient had allegedly been deprived of his kidney but was unable to have access to the hospital records, which could have given a true picture of this particular case.

He said he was still making efforts to get the evidences related to the case and would like to request the high-ups to give his inquiry team some more time. The other two members of the team are Dr Aisha Saleem and Dr Humayun Zafar, who belong to the Sindh Government Qatar Hospital.

Sources in the health department said that neither the patient in question nor the police department had so far approached the department in regard to the issue. Surely police are working on the case and will submit their findings to the forum concerned, but a technical examination of the details from police is needed to be carried out by the health department, according to a source.

It was further said that the patient, who had lodged an FIR against Dr Mateen at Taimuria police station on July 6, showed no interest in meeting the chairman of the inquiry committee. Despite communication through some doctors, Kashif did not like to be interviewed by the committee, said a source privy to the official inquiry.

A person from the hospital’s administration, did agree to have a formal meeting with the committee but failed to appear before it or provided it with the required information or records.

About the role of Sindh health department in handling such cases taking place in the private sector, a health official said that in the absence of relevant regulations, the government was not in a position to put its foot down.