HYDERABAD: A murder case has been registered against nine doctors and staff members of the Liaquat University Hospital Hyderabad (also known as Civil Hospital) following the death of a 17-year-old dengue patient, Hasnain Zardari.
According to police, the case was lodged late on Tuesday night at the Market Police Station on a trial court’s orders. The FIR was filed by the teenage boy’s father, Advocate Aamir Ali Zardari, who accused the hospital staff of criminal negligence that led to his son’s death.
Those nominated in the FIR include Professor Dr Iqbal Shah (In-charge Medical Ward-II), Medical Superintendent Dr Akbar Dahri, Registrar Dr. Musarrat Baloch, doctors on duty Dr Saad, Dr Sidra, Dr Mushk, Dr. Rabia, Surgical ICU In-charge Dr Saddam, and Medical ICU’s Dr Kashif, among others.
The complainant alleged that the accused deliberately displayed negligence and carelessness during treatment, which resulted in the death of his son. After the registration of the case, members of the Young Doctors Association (YDA) staged a protest and boycotted outpatient services at the Civil Hospital Hyderabad.
Later, addressing a press conference at the Hyderabad Press Club, YDA Sindh President Dr Roshan Chandio expressed condolences to the bereaved family but condemned the lodging of a murder case against doctors, saying it had created a sense of insecurity among medical professionals.
Every day, between 10,000 and 12,000 patients visit the Civil Hospital Hyderabad for treatment, he said. Over the past days, 550 dengue patients were admitted to the hospital, out of which 250 have recovered after treatment.
Dr Roshan Chandio added that due to a lack of budget, around 800 posts of doctors remain vacant at the hospital. He called on the commissioner, deputy commissioner, journalists, and civil society to jointly investigate the incident. We strongly condemn the registration of a murder case against doctors by the police, he said.
Meanwhile, Medical Superintendent Dr Akbar Dahri, while speaking to the media on Wednesday, said that the patient, Hasnain, was brought to the Civil Hospital on Sunday after being treated at a private hospital for three days. He had internal bleeding and difficulty in breathing. We admitted him to Medical Ward-II and later shifted him to the ICU when his condition worsened, Dahri explained.
He added that the patient’s father approached the court, which ordered the recording of statements and directed the Sindh Health Care Commission to conduct an inquiry within 30 days. The court had clearly stated that no arrests would be made until the inquiry was completed, he said.
Dr Dahri criticized the police for registering a murder case despite the court’s directions. An MS neither admits or treats patients nor does he discharge them, yet “my name and that of senior professors have been included in the FIR,” he said. This damages the hospital’s reputation, but we will face it legally and wait for the Health Care Commission’s findings, he added.
He said that if any negligence is proven, punishment should be given but there is a proper procedure for that. Every patient’s chart and record are maintained and will be reviewed by the inquiry committee. Dr Dahri reiterated that the hospital administration would fully cooperate with the Health Care Commission’s investigation to ensure transparency in the case.
