ISLAMABAD, Dec 6: An inquiry conducted to probe the alleged negligence of Pims doctors in providing medical assistance to a critically injured man found the medical staff innocent.

The inquiry was ordered on November 25 by Pims Executive Director Dr Abdul Majeed Rajput, and a committee was constituted to investigate the treatment provided to the injured person, who was later shifted to another hospital by his family members after allegedly not getting proper medical attention at Pims.

The patient, Naseer Abbasi, a trader at Peshawar Mor, was stopped by an unidentified person as he was heading home from Peshawar Mor on November 23. After a brief chase the unidentified person opened fire on him. The inquiry committee, comprising three doctors, including the assistant director emergency, conducted the inquiry and submitted its report to the executive director.

According to the report the injured man was brought to the emergency ward on November 23 at 9pm with an injury at the back of the head.

At first the patient was attended by the casualty medical officer who then called Dr Fareed and Dr Zaheer, the doctors concerned from the neurosurgery department.

At the time of the arrival, the patient’s level of consciousness on the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) was 8/15 and was aggressive. His wound over the occipital was bleeding, and he was resuscitated and transfused blood in the ward.

An urgent CT scan of the brain showed a fracture of occipital bone and swelling. He was operated upon in the minor operation theatre. As he was a case of severe head injury he needed ventilator support. In Surgical-ICU, Dr Tayyub and Medical-ICU Dr Suhail were contacted for the ventilator, but all the beds in the wards were occupied by serious patients.

The assistant director of the nigh shift was contacted by Dr Fareed who informed the patient’s relatives about his condition and the unavailability of the ventilator.

The relatives themselves then arranged a ventilator at Shifa International Hospital and shifted him there.

The patient’s brother, Shakeel Abbasi, said the doctors and medical staff of Pims failed to provide proper medical assistance to the injured.

Naseer remained in the hospital for two-and-a-half hours, but during this time only untrained and junior doctors examined him, he said, adding that no senior doctor or surgeon was present there to examine him.

He further said the doctors also failed to stop his bleeding. He then asked the hospital staff to refer him to another hospital, as he was afraid that the delay in providing proper medical assistance could be dangerous.

Naseer Abbasi later died at the private hospital on November 25.