n eerie silence has befallen the corridors of Lady Willingdon Hospital after a video, purportedly recorded inside an operation theatre, went viral on social media. The footage, which shows medical staff cheering as surgeons perform side-by-side C-sections in what appears to be a race to finish first, has ignited a debate over medical ethics, patient dignity and the ‘reel culture’ infiltrating professional spaces.

The fallout has been swift. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif took notice of the incident, directing immediate disciplinary action against those responsible. Following her directive, the Health Department initiated proceedings under the Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability Act.

As of this report, four lady doctors have been suspended from service. A show-cause notice has been issued to the Head of Gynaecology Unit I. Disciplinary proceedings are also under way against then medical superintendent Dr Farah, head of department Dr Uzma, and senior consultants Dr Munir and Dr Rutaba for alleged negligence and supervisory failure.

Professor Dr Rizwan Taj, president of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council has called the incident “unpardonable,” and vowed strict action under the council’s regulatory framework.

Dr Javed Akram, the former health minister, has condemned the act of recording, stating that filming a patient without their consent is a gross violation of privacy.

“Such recordings should not be attempted at all,” he tells TNS. “This is about human lives — there can be no shortcuts or competitions when it comes to the safety of a mother and her child.”

However, he also says that any action against doctors should only be taken after a proper inquiry.

Young Doctors’ Association, on the other hand, has a different narrative. Dr Salman Haseeb, the YDA leader, denies that there was a “competition.” He says the video is eight months old and simply captured the high-pressure reality of a public hospital where 30 to 40 C-sections are performed daily.

“If people are concerned about health facilities, they should demand more hospitals and more doctors instead of criticising a video,” says Dr Salman Haseeb. He says a team of only six or seven surgeons often handles dozens of cases in a 24-hour shift.

“A third person, not the surgeons, recorded the video to document the pace at which surgeries were being performed,” he says.

Dr Haseeb says that while C-sections typically take 30 to 45 minutes, crowding at facilities like Lady Willingdon and Mayo Hospital which “handles 750–850 procedures daily” puts immense pressure on the medical staff.

Some sociologists view the incident as a symptom of a cultural obsession with digital fames. Dr Rizwan Safdar, assistant professor of sociology at the University of the Punjab, says the desire for “viral reels” is now encroaching on professional duties. “At the end of the day, it appears a medical student or doctor recorded the procedure simply to gain fame.”

Dr Haseeb alleges the videographer was a final-year student. “Students go to OTs to learn. This [filming] was an unethical act. It is punishable. However, the reputation of an institution serving the community since 1930 should not be allowed to be destroyed over one mistake.”

While agreeing that the commentary in the video was “irresponsible,” he maintains that the real issue is workload. “If people are concerned about the quality of health care, they should demand more hospitals and more doctors instead of fixating on the video.” He says that a team of only six or seven surgeons often handles dozens of cases in a 24-hour shift.

As the inquiry continues, the medical community is divided between those calling for an overhaul of OT protocols and those warning against the ‘sensationalism’ of a leaked video missing its original context.

Ahsan Raza is the editor of Minute Mirror. He can be reached at [email protected]