SAHIWAL: An 80‑year‑old woman sustained a serious internal head injury due to alleged negligence by Rescue 1122 staff while shifting her from the rescue van to the outpatient department of the Sahiwal Institute of Cardiology on Saturday afternoon.

The family members said they had brought Syeda Nadra Bokhari to the hospital with cardiac and breathing complications but she had to undergo an emergency neurosurgery after falling from a stretcher mishandled by two rescuers.

Syed Alamdar Shah, a Pakistani expat, had called Rescue 1122 to shift his mother to the Institute of Cardiology after she developed breathing problems around noon.

He alleged that the rescue van arrived after 48 minutes, far beyond the standard 15-20 minutes response time within Sahiwal city limits. CCTV footage from the family’s home shows that the rescuers failed to fasten stretcher safety belts around the semi‑conscious Nadra Bokhari. The van reached the hospital at about 2:28pm, accompanied by Alamdar in his personal vehicle and two female attendants in the van.

During the transfer, Nadra fell onto the cardiac emergency floor and her head hit the floor. The left side of head and eye got blood accumulation. The emergency staff initially provided cardiac treatment, including ECG, but bleeding from her nose prompted immediate referral to the surgical unit. A CT scan revealed bilateral subdural hematoma (SDH).

Dr Arslan Farooq, deputy medical superintendent of Sahiwal Teaching Hospital, wrote in the report that the female patient “fell onto ground” while being shifted by Rescue 1122 staff. Later, neurosurgeons led by Dr Amir Majeed, performed a three‑hour long operation to evacuate the clots. The patient was later shifted to the ICU at the Sahiwal Teaching Hospital where she had been on a ventilator for the past 36 hours.

The family staged a protest and approached district and divisional authorities. Sources said the deputy commissioner has formed an inquiry committee, comprising the ADCG, DEO, and MS of Sahiwal Teaching Hospital. He also summoned the family to record their statement today (Monday) at 11am. Commissioner Dr Asif Tufail also took serious notice of the incident. Sources told Dawn that District Emergency Officer Zafar Iqbal suspended Emergency Medical Technician Zafar Iqbal and driver Tariq Mahmood who shifted the woman to hospital.

Speaking to Dawn, Syed Alamdar Shah announced that the family intended to pursue criminal proceedings against Rescue 1122 staff, holding them responsible for the brain injury inflicted on his mother through unprofessional handling during emergency transfer.

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2026