Pakpattan: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif made an unannounced visit to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital in Pakpattan, where she personally inspected various wards and facilities.
Patients and their families voiced a flood of complaints regarding mismanagement, negligence, and the unavailability of medicines despite supplies being in stock.
During her visit, it was discovered that medicines were being deliberately sourced from outside pharmacies through collusion, even though adequate stocks were available within the hospital.
Attempts by the Medical Superintendent (MS) and other officials to conceal the facts further aggravated the situation.
Taking stern action, the Chief Minister ordered criminal cases to be registered against Chief Executive Officer Health Pakpattan Dr. Sohail Asghar and MS Dr. Adnan Ghaffar on charges of gross negligence and directed their immediate arrest.
A new MS from Sahiwal has been appointed to replace them.
She also ordered the arrest of the parking contractor and in-charge following complaints that patients were being overcharged Rs.50 and Rs.100 as parking fees.
In addition, three lab technicians were terminated for collusion with a private laboratory, and three private labs were sealed due to their involvement with hospital staff.
Expressing severe displeasure over the failure to provide free medicines, she emphasized that while Rs.100 billion were allocated for medicines, the public was still being forced to buy them externally.
She reprimanded officials after finding that medicines were deliberately withheld in storerooms and that air conditioners were running in administrative offices but turned off in patient wards.
She also ordered the Deputy Commissioner Pakpattan to relinquish charge and announced an audit of the hospital’s equipment.
The Chief Minister declared that hospitals must implement Code Red and Code Blue emergency protocols and directed the installation of a pager system to improve communication among staff.
She further instructed a ban on mobile phone use by doctors and paramedics while on duty.
According to the inquiry report, hospital consultants were not giving sufficient time to patient care, critical equipment was lying unused in storerooms, and emergency protocols were not being followed.
The report highlighted that 90% of patients were forced to buy medicines from outside, pediatric incubators were non-functional, and staff lacked training in handling critical cases.
Maryam Nawaz Sharif stated that decisive measures were essential to make officials realize their responsibilities, adding, “If you do not look after other people’s children as your own, you are complicit in their suffering.
Weapons are not necessary to kill—criminal negligence is enough.” She underscored that negligence on this scale is answerable not only to her government but also to God.
She concluded by directing that all inquiries be finalized within a week and warning that those failing in their duties would face the strictest accountability.
