The Punjab Health Department has taken decisive action following the circulation of a controversial video at Lady Willingdon Hospital (LWH) in Lahore. On Tuesday, show-cause notices were issued to senior administrative officers due to the inappropriate conduct captured in the footage involving two patients undergoing treatment.
The video, which sparked widespread concern, depicted two teams of doctors competing against each other to perform cesarean section surgeries simultaneously in the same operating theatre. This raised serious questions about professional ethics and patient safety standards at the hospital.
In a significant development, the department confirmed that these measures were taken under the direct orders of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif. Show-cause notices were directed at senior officials responsible for oversight, including the former Medical Superintendent (MS), senior consultants, senior registrars, senior medical officers, and the Head of Department (HOD).
Furthermore, the Health Department has formally recommended that the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) initiate disciplinary proceedings against five postgraduate doctors implicated in recording the video. The doctors named are Dr. Tayyaba, Dr. Maham, Dr. Zainab, Dr. Ayesha, and Dr. Essa.
Disciplinary actions have also been launched against suspended MS Dr. Farah, Senior Consultant Anesthesia Dr. Uzma, Dr. Munir, Senior Registrar Dr. Rutaba, Dr. Munaza, and other involved officials. They have been held accountable for negligence, administrative lapses, incompetence, and failure to maintain proper supervision.
All individuals summoned are required to submit written responses within seven days or appear personally for inquiry. To oversee the proceedings, Secretary Law Asif Bilal Lodhi has been appointed as the hearing officer following directives from the chief minister. Secretary Local Government Mian Shakeel Ahmed has also been assigned to assist in the hearing process.
Additionally, show-cause notices have been issued to a women medical officer, charge nurses including Iqra Hafeez and Fozia Rashid, as well as staff member Haseeb-ur-Rehman, further broadening the scope of accountability within the hospital staff.
