A doctor working as an additional house officer at Multan’s Nishtar Hospital has been sacked following his misconduct with a patient’s family, which was captured in a video widely circulated on social media, officials confirmed on Monday.
The video shows the doctor making inappropriate and obscene gestures towards the deceased patient’s relatives after they staged a protest in the hospital ward, taken on December 18. Hospital authorities initially suspended the doctor before dismissing him from service.
On Thursday night, Shamim Bibi, a resident of New Tariqabad, was shifted to the emergency department of Nishtar Hospital in critical condition. After an initial examination, doctors stated that he had chronic liver disease, a condition that can progress to liver failure. Doctors recommended further testing and a blood transfusion.
Nishtar Hospital spokesperson Rao Naushad said the patient was suffering from severe liver and stomach disease. He explained that in such cases only supportive treatment can be provided, adding that the patient was provided with all available medical facilities.
During transfer from the emergency department to the medical room, the patient died. Their relatives then protested, alleging that they had not been provided or administered blood on time and accusing the medical staff on duty of inappropriate behavior and excessive use of mobile phones.
Family members claimed that the patient was not given blood immediately, which they said led to her death. They added that she had previously been taken to the emergency department but was sent back.
The deceased’s son, Bahram, said his mother had stomach problems, but no one heard them in the emergency department. She alleged that the staff repeatedly told them to take her to a private hospital and after much difficulty she was admitted. He stated that despite having the blood available, it was not administered on time, and they were told that it was time for shift change and that the next shift would take care of it.
Read: Medical negligence suspected of patient’s death
During the protest, a video emerged showing additional house officer Dr Qasim of medical ward number 11 making obscene gestures towards the patient’s family members, further escalating tensions.
Hospital sources said the patient had been brought to the emergency department in an extremely critical condition and was examined by senior doctors, who gave him necessary instructions. However, after his death, the situation worsened after family members recorded videos and the inappropriate behavior of the house manager.
The hospital spokesperson confirmed that Nishtar Medical University vice-chancellor Professor Dr Mehnaz Khakwani had dismissed additional house officer Dr Qasim from service and ordered a formal inquiry.
A two-member inquiry committee has been formed, headed by Dr Zahid, Chief Emergency Officer, and Dr Asma Khar, DMS Task Force, as the second member. The committee is reviewing all aspects of the incident. Statements of the sacked house officer, security guards, DMS and other senior doctors on duty have been recorded and CCTV footage has also been collected.
The hospital spokesperson stated that in light of the investigation report, stricter action will be taken against those responsible.
Medical circles have also expressed concern over the behavior of the house officer, highlighting that proper training of newly graduated doctors before their appointment to the ward is essential but is often neglected.
Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Mehnaz Khakwani had initially ordered the immediate suspension of the house official and constituted an inquiry committee. South Punjab Special Secretary Health Amanullah also sought a report on the matter from the Medical Superintendent of Nishtar Hospital.
On Saturday, the vice chancellor formally issued a notification dismissing Dr Qasim from his service, stating that from the date of notification, he would no longer serve as a house officer at Nishtar Hospital.
Sources said the hospital administration contacted the victim’s family to express regret over the incident and assured them of full cooperation, asking them to report any further administrative complaints so that action could be taken against other staff members if necessary.
The fired internal official submitted a seven-page written response to the inquiry commission.
In his statement to the management, the sacked house officer claimed that the deceased patient was being treated by two senior doctors and that he himself was not responsible for her treatment. He named Dr. Majid of the PGR and Dr. Saleem as the doctors handling the case.
He claimed that after the patient’s death, the relatives started shouting and creating ruckus, while the two senior doctors disappeared despite needing to console the family. He said he was simultaneously treating four other patients in the emergency department, including gastric lavage on one patient and insertion of a nasogastric tube on another.
Read more: Protest breaks out over alleged medical negligence
He alleged that a large number of male relatives entered the female medical ward and that a young man grabbed his left arm, verbally abused him and attempted to assault him. He said relatives of other patients intervened to stop the attackers. He added that he reported the situation to the DMS, but the security personnel were absent. Fearing violence, he said he later locked himself in the DMS office.
Dr Qasim, referring to the gesture he made, stated that it was a natural reaction after continuous verbal abuse, death threats and physical harassment, and that he did not intend to insult anyone. He said the meaning of the gesture could be verified online and that he had expressed his protest silently, without using abusive language or violence.
She also questioned whether it was appropriate for a large number of men to enter the female medical ward, swear and record videos, and asked where the security staff were, despite her complaints to the DMS.
Medical professionals and social media users said the obscene gesture could not be justified under any circumstances, while calling for action against any other emergency personnel found negligent.
Sources said Dr Qasim graduated from Nishtar Medical College and was considered a very capable student, having secured distinction marks in physiology, pathology (general and special) and otorhinolaryngology. However, during his domestic work, he allegedly faced problems that led him to freeze his domestic work and undergo treatment. Sources also claimed that he had previously suffered psychological problems and had previously been suspended from his domestic job due to absenteeism.
The report of the inquiry commission formed according to the instructions of the vice-chancellor is still awaited.
