Two legal notices were lodged on Thursday against medical officials of a private hospital, Ammar Medical Complex (AMC). The notices were issued to Dr Maryam Malik who is a visiting gynaecologist at the hospital and to the chief executive of AMC.
The petitioner, Malik Amir Sohail appealed to the Consumer Court to intervene claiming that the hospital and Dr Maryam had been negligent in his wife’s abdominal hysterectomy procedure.
According to the petitioner, Dr Maryam recommended surgery to his wife due to her having excessive vaginal bleeding.
Although the procedure went as planned, the patient soon developed an infection and therefore needed further treatment. Despite being treated repeatedly by medication, the case worsened and the patient went to Ganga Ram Hospital where doctors discovered a mass in her abdomen. After a second surgical procedure, Doctors at Ganga Ram retrieved a sponge from the woman’s abdomen which had been left inside the patient from the earlier procedure.
Whilst speaking to Pakistan Today, AMC Medical Director Dr Ammar Aslam maintained that the patient had come to Dr Maryam Malik by their own reference and that surgery was earlier denied upon the discovery that the patient was in fact Hepatitis C positive.
He added that the patient was requested to get a ‘fitness for surgery’ certificate from a medical officer and only after obtaining that, the surgery went ahead. Dr Ammar also said that the patient had been discharged with a clean bill of health and it was almost two months later that the notice was sent.
He also mentioned that the patient had visited several other doctors during the two months and not only Dr Maryam. He further said that Dr Maryam was a visiting physician at the hospital and the onus hence falls entirely upon the doctor rather than the medical facility merely providing a facility for several visiting physicians. He added that if the patient had been treated by an on-staff gynaecologist, the case would have been different and there was no detail as to how many other consultants the patient had seen between being released from Ammar Medical Complex and sending the legal notice.
Speaking to officials at Ganga Ram Hospital, Pakistan Today learnt that the patient Shabana Omer, 40, had in fact visited the medical facility on November 21 complaining of pain.
Additional Medical Superintendent (AMS-Admin) Dr Asim speaking on behalf of Ganga Ram hospital said that a mass was discovered in the patient’s abdomen and after the surgery, the patient was discharged from the Hospital on December 7
He added that the surgical procedure determined that the mass was in fact a sponge which was then removed from the patient’s abdomen.
The AMMR hosp is also responsible in this case. This is a standard procedure in all the operation. When operation is finished and surgeon is going to close the abdomen (peritoneum), the in charge operating nurse will tell the surgeon that "instrument and sponge count is correct" This is called "First count" Then when the last layer which is skin is going to be sutured, the surgeon is told again that second count of sponge and instrument is also correct.This is told by the in charge operating room nurse. This nurse is employee of the hosp. That is the reason hospital is also responsible.
Doctor is negligent because when ever you put any sponge in the abdominal cavity, there is string at the end of each sponge and that string is held outside the abdomen with an instrument called "Kelly or snap" The main purpose is that surgeon do not forget to take the sponge out of abdominal cavity when the case is finished .One possible explanation is she forgot to put the Kelly instrument to the end of sponge. She knows better than me.
So legally and medically speaking , this case is very clear. This is not the first or last case to happen. To err is human.
Main issue is parent ion of these kind of cases. Media should not exaggerate this case that much.I know media is very powerful in Pakistan .
Best thing for surgeon and hosp is to settle the case out of court. That is the way I have seen in USA.
Comments are closed.