In a significant development, the Medical Superintendent (MS) and the Head of Department at Lady Willingdon Hospital in Lahore have been suspended following a serious breach of patient confidentiality. The Secretary of Specialized Healthcare took action against multiple staff members after videos of surgeries were recorded and circulated on social media platforms.
The suspended personnel include MS Dr. Farah Inam, who has been ordered to report back to her department, and the Head of Department, Dr. Uzma, who must report to the Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department. Additionally, Women Medical Officer Iqra Hafeez has been reassigned to the Health and Population Department.
Five Post-Graduate Residents (PGRs) were suspended due to unethical video recording and unprofessional behavior during surgeries. Charge nurses Iqra Zahid and Fozia Rasheed, along with staff member Haseeb Al-Rauf, have also been suspended and instructed to report to the department. An explanation letter has been issued to the Head of the Gynecology Department at the hospital.
The disciplinary measures follow the discovery that doctors at the hospital turned two surgeries into a competition, racing to complete procedures in the operating theater. This reckless conduct endangered patient safety and violated a strict ban on filming inside operating rooms. The disturbing incident involved C-section operations, and videos of the event have since emerged online.
Punjab Health Secretary Azmat Mahmood has formally taken notice of the situation and vowed strict disciplinary action against all involved. He emphasized that treating patients with disregard will not be tolerated under any circumstances. The CM Complaint Cell had initially suspended four doctors as part of the ongoing investigation.
