Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Friday paid an emergency visit to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital in Pakpattan after the tragic death of 20 children, allegedly due to medical negligence and mismanagement.
The shocking incident sparked public outrage, prompting the chief minister to conduct a surprise inspection of the hospital’s wards, laboratories, and emergency areas. She also visited the patients undergoing treatment in the wards and inquired after them one by one. During the visit, patients and their families poured out their grievances, complaining of negligence, indiscipline, shortage of services, and systemic corruption.
CM Maryam Nawaz took strict notice of the infants’ deaths and immediately ordered the arrest of Health Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr. Sohail Asghar and Medical Superintendent (MS) Dr Adnan Ghaffar. A case has been registered against both officials, while a new MS from Sahiwal has been appointed to take charge of the hospital. The CM also takes action over the attempts to cover up facts by the MS and other officials.
CM Maryam, visibly angered by the gravity of the complaints, condemned the collusion between hospital staff and private pharmacies, saying: “Despite the availability of medicines, they were being ordered from outside in collusion with the pharmacy. We are spending Rs100 billion on medicines — why are people still deprived?”
