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LAHORE: A 60-year-old woman breathed her last on the floor of Jinnah Hospital on Monday evening after she was allegedly denied treatment at three state-run hospitals.
Zahra complained of severe pain in chest early in the morning and was brought to the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) from a Kasur village on a taxi at around 11am.
Doctors at the emergency ward ‘diagnosed’ her with some kidney problem and referred her to Services Hospital, a male relative accompanying the body in an Edhi ambulance told Dawn outside the Jinnah Hospital mortuary.
Not willing to be named, the relative said the medics at the Services Hospital examined Zahra on a stretcher near the entrance to the medical emergency ward and referred her to Jinnah Hospital on account of unavailability of any bed.
Doctors examined her at the Jinnah emergency at around 3pm and referred her to Medical Unit I.
“Since no bed was available in the unit, a doctor asked us to wait outside. The patient was kept waiting for three hours or so until she breathed her last,” said the relative.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has taken notice of the death of the woman due to non-provision of medical aid and ordered an inquiry.
He directed that the matter should be thoroughly investigated and a report be presented.
The chief minister said the persons responsible for negligence should be identified and action be taken.
Published in Dawn January 3rd, 2017
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Comments (29) Closed
Jan 03, 2017 11:52am
This is the situation after continuous 9 years of pmln govt in Punjab.
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Jan 03, 2017 12:21pm
Every other day young doctors protest for high salaries now show them some punishment too.
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Jan 03, 2017 12:41pm
Shame on PML-N and its supporters.
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Jan 03, 2017 12:50pm
@Philosopher(from japan) I guess you did not read the news completely.
According to patient relative, patient was asked to wait outside because there was NO free bed available and she eventually died after 3 hours.
Do you expect doctors to bring equipments and beds from their salary? What has Govt. done to provide health facilities to ever increasing population of Lahore? Orange line and metros can neither be used as medicine nor as medicines.
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Jan 03, 2017 12:53pm
@Philosopher(from japan) the underpaid doctors would remain unmotivated to do their jobs. you want them to save patients' lives yet you would neither pay them well nor have the hospitals to get better facilities!
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Jan 03, 2017 12:59pm
How many more "notices" still to be taken? How many more "reports submissions" is required before these politicians will wake up from their slumber or their dead consciences?
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Jan 03, 2017 01:04pm
Now the entire Shabaz administration will be busy to let it pass somehow. No integrity. This CM found time to meet a Chinese Minister but never called his Minister for health. Took NOTICE and formed a committee! That's it????
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Jan 03, 2017 01:10pm
@Arif Maroof you are 100 percent right
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Jan 03, 2017 01:15pm
...............and "THEY" travel abroad to have minor medical treatments !!!!
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Jan 03, 2017 01:16pm
Inna Lillahe Wa Inna Ilaihe Rajeoon. Ameen.
This is criminal! Where are the military courts? Ban all construction activities and improve all hospitals, colleges and schools.......ASAP. Nawaz and Shahbaz are TOTAL FAILURES. Salams
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Jan 03, 2017 01:16pm
She should be sent to either CPEC , METRO Or Orange train... They would have cured her ailment!!!
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Jan 03, 2017 01:30pm
Provincial Minister of Health must be made responsible for this death because public and media is calling for a long time about the performances of the government hospitals in Punjab.
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Jan 03, 2017 01:36pm
he has taken notice and asked for a report.... will form a committee... nothing will happen... they will win again :(
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Jan 03, 2017 01:48pm
Respected Shahbaz Sharif Sb, You are Kana Raja (Whose eye sight is getting weaker day by day) among blind politicians. Please stop advertisement of good governance and do some good governance.
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Jan 03, 2017 02:46pm
the responsible are those who could not provide health facilities to public at their most nearest point. responsible are those who could not develop health facilities according to population size. responsible are those who could not regulate the medicine profession. responsible are those who "remained and are" responsible for this country's affairs.
alas! the primary responsible is searching "non or secondary" responsibles.
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Jan 03, 2017 02:47pm
This is why I have to fly to the UK for my medical treatment, because there no good hospitals or clinics in Pakistan.
And then people complain when I am gone for few weeks or months in London, to recuperate from any surgery. Do you expect me to come to Lahore for that??
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Jan 03, 2017 02:54pm
Shame on PML N who have failed to provide adequate facilities to the poor patient. She was not denied treatment, she was denied bed because it was not available in the hospital. We see this situation on a daily basis. The patients have to suffer due to inadequate beds, non availability of medicines. Inadequate doctors and paramedics. The sufferers are poor patients alone. Lahore is not Punjab. Punjab is from Rahim yar khan till rawalpindi. We need tertiary care hospitals in every tehsil of punjab so that the patients dont have to come running to lahore for treatment. Doctors are defamed by the govt for not going to rural areas. Noone wants to go there because the hospitals that are there lack infrastructure as well as equipment for proper management of patients. A doctor cannot treat a patient without these basic necessaties. Our health system is baring surving the load, a lot needs to be put in if these Politican goons want to see it progress
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Jan 03, 2017 03:05pm
And the inquiry on behest of chief minister will held some doctor responsible for the non-availability of bed. The doctor will be punished and the cycle will repeat itself, but no one will raise voice for construction of new wards.
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Jan 03, 2017 03:05pm
This will keep occurring as long as Sharif family prefers to get their ailments treated in London instead of Lahore.
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Jan 03, 2017 03:09pm
@Nawaz You are lucky .0000001 per cent of the population of Pakistan, who can afford this luxury, and you should not display it so blatantly. Be generous and in your good health contribute towards charitable institutions who can help such people.
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Jan 03, 2017 03:14pm
This is nothing new in Punjab Province.
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Jan 03, 2017 03:18pm
@mustanid - Read 'Nawaz's' comment again.. .You are missing the satire!!!
Hint.. 'Nawaz & London'!! Get it??
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Jan 03, 2017 03:55pm
In decent democracies CM would resign before the investigations begin.
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Jan 03, 2017 03:52pm
Don't worry folks! The Chief Minister has taken notice of the death and ordered an inquiry. Everything is going to be okay now.
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Jan 03, 2017 04:25pm
"..The chief minister said the persons responsible for negligence should be identified and action be taken...."
Persons responsible ? Dear Sir, you are "responsible", who claims to e "Khadim-e-Aala",
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Jan 03, 2017 04:43pm
Yet another enquiry. .....
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Jan 03, 2017 05:53pm
NOTICE.. COMMITTEE.. NOTICE.. COMMIITTTEEE..
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Jan 03, 2017 11:05pm
Waiting for the day Nawaz Sharif use government hospital or Ittefaq hospital for his treatment and then doctor announces good news - that he is recovered.
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Jan 04, 2017 02:12am
Unless Pakistanis pin their ears back and rise up there will never ever be adequate health care in Pakistan. You have to fight for what you get in this world. Voting for the same people over and over gains nothing. At least Imran Khan is the only candidate for PM willing to make health care a priority. ...and can only could win if women in Pakistan were allowed to go to the polls and vote. Men are shooting themselves in the feet by keeping women away from the polls.
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