The police claimed that the FIR was filed on the complaint of lawyer Aamir Lutf Ali Zardari, father of the deceased
HYDERABAD:
The Sindh Healthcare Commission (SHCC) has opposed the registration of an FIR against doctors at Liaquat University Hospital in a case regarding the death of a young man due to dengue virus caused by alleged negligence on the part of the hospital. In a letter to the Station House Officer at Market police station on Monday, the commission’s executive director, Dr Ahsan Qavi Siddiqui, stressed that the police cannot precede the commission in the matter of investigating allegations against a doctor.
He referred to Section 29 of the SHCC Act, 2013, which barred the police from such action. “No suit, prosecution, or other legal proceeding in connection with the delivery of health care services may be brought against a health care provider except pursuant to this Act,” the reference in the letter reads.
“This statutory provision states that any allegation of medical negligence on the part of a health service provider is first subject to a technical investigation by the SHCC.” The CEO reiterated that under the law, only the SHCC can investigate and determine whether the alleged acts constituted medical negligence.
Siddiqui stressed that the matter should be handed over to the SHCC for further investigation. The Market Police Station registered an FIR on October 28, nominating Prof Dr. Iqbal Shah, Medical Superintendent of LUH Dr. Akbar Dahiri, Dr. Musarat Baloch and some other doctors under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code.
The police claimed that the FIR was filed on the complaint of lawyer Aamir Lutf Ali Zardari, father of the late Hasnain Ali Zardari.
Zardari blamed the accused doctors for their negligence during medical treatment of his late son. The FIR drew a strong reaction from the medical community.
