LAHORE, June 6: The health department came under fire in the Punjab Assembly on Wednesday when one of its members, Taiba Zameer, stood up to narrate the circumstances that led to her son’s death allegedly due to doctors’ negligence.
With tears in her eyes and trembling voice, she moved everyone when she said her son, suffering from a minor chest allergy, was given a wrong injection by doctors at Services Hospital.
Once injection reacted in body and his condition deteriorated, he was advised to be removed to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital but it was too late and “I lost my only offspring.”
The Speaker was left with no choice but to refer the matter to the House Committee when even Law Minister Rana Sanaullah did not oppose it handing over to the committee.
On top of it, the Speaker summoned the medical superintendent of Services Hospital to his chamber at 9am on Thursday (today) morning.
The moving narration by Taiba Zameer opened floodgates of complaints, with a long list of MPAs standing up to tell the House how they have been suffering bad treatments and negligence at the hands of doctors at government hospitals.
Azma Zahid Bukhari also told the House that her son fell and complained of severe pain in the arms. She took him to Services Hospital and was shocked to know that there was no orthopaedic doctor in the entire hospital. She was told that she would have to wait for four days before her son could see an official doctor.
“If that is how these institutions operate, the Punjab government should think twice before claiming any credit for improving working of these hospitals,” she said.
Tanvir Ashraf Kaira, Sheikh Allauddin and others had stories to tell about the work ethics of doctors in Punjab.
Earlier, the House proceeding started some 82 minutes late than the fixed time, and the Question Hour saw a “boring and yawning” house for next 60 minutes. Zafar Iqbal Nagra, parliamentary secretary for Housing and Urban Development, only added to boredom with inaccurate and inarticulate answers.
He was unable to respond to questions about sewerage system in the PP-145 and the matter was referred to the House Committee. He did not know how sewerage system in the Gulberg area of Lahore was being laid. His lack of knowledge irked others who had a go at him.
Seemal Kamran of the PML-Q led the attack when she told the secretary: “Either come prepared to the House or get ready to be grilled.” The members grilled the guy even when the speaker announced ending the question hour.
The members were still criticising the health system when the Speaker adjourned the House for 10am on Thursday (tomorrow) morning.