ISLAMABAD, April 22: The Lahore High Court (LHC) Rawalpindi bench has directed the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) administration not to discharge the patient who went into coma after being administered a wrong injection.

It also asked the hospital to take good care of him.

Justice Bashir A. Mujahid of the LHC Rawalpindi bench, while hearing an appeal filed on behalf of the patient Javaid, ordered the Pims authorities to take immediate steps for his well-being.

Javaid has been in a state of coma for the last 28 days at the hospital.

Nadir Altaf advocate, who appeared on behalf of the patient, told Dawn that the court had summoned the assistant advocate-general Punjab to appear before it on Friday after seeking details and instructions from the Pims’ executive director about the incident.

Mohammad Siddiq, the patient’s uncle, while talking to Dawn, had expressed unwillingness to shift the patient to his hometown Haripur because of lack of facilities there.

The petitioner had alleged that the hospital administration, instead of assuming any responsibility and taking measures to address it, had brazenly told the patient’s family to make arrangements to remove the patient from the hospital after expressing their inability to treat him further.

The petitioner has sought the court’s direction against Pims administration to suspend the guilty doctors, medical staff concerned and proceed against them in the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) and other related authorities for cancellation of their practicing licence.

The petitioner has also prayed to immediately seal and close the pharmacy store, situated within the premises of the hospital and withdraw its licence. The pharmacy store had allegedly provided the wrong injection because the man at the counter misunderstood the prescription.