Patients made to suffer as NIRM doctor ‘settles a score’

• Urology patients being denied listing for operation theatre for past four weeks

In what appears to be highhandedness of a doctor, patients with serious medical conditions have been passing through great torment at the National Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine (NIRM) for the past few weeks, Pakistan Today has learnt.

According to sources in the hospital, urology patients are being denied operation(s) for the past four weeks for reasons best known to Anesthesia Consultant Dr Muniba Iftikhar, thus pushing already-distressed patients in a grave ordeal.

“Dr Muniba might be having some personal grudges,” insiders revealed, saying she should have listed patients for the operation theatre and must not put them to the sword just to settle scores.

Sixty-year-old William Masih is one of those patients of the Urology Department who for the third time learnt on Saturday that he would not be operated upon even though he had been asked not to eat anything on Friday night because of his operation (on Saturday morning).

“I was really shocked when the doctor refused to operate upon me without giving any reason,” said the 60-year-old hernia patient who looked sad and wretched, complaining, “This is the third time I have been called in but am not being operated upon.”

“I have to wait for another week since urology patients are operated upon only on Saturdays,” said William with a heavy heart unsure he will be allowed in the operation theatre when he walks in the next time.

Another patient, who is also having the same trouble, expressed surprise at the attitude of the anesthesia consultant, and said as to why action was not being taken against her.

When asked about Dr Muniba Iftikhar’s refusal to list patients for operations, Dr Fartash Sarwar, a NIRM urologist, showed his ignorance over the matter. “This refusal is beyond my comprehension,” he said, recalling that NIRM Executive Director Dr Fazle Moula had issued clear directives on February 11 for carrying out surgery of all patients without a delay.

Asked if Dr Muniba enjoyed strong political backing or support, Sarwar said poor patients were not supposed to bear the brunt whatever the case was. He said that William and five other patients with serious medical conditions had been waiting for the past four week to get listed in the operation theatre.

When contacted Dr Muniba Iftikhar categorically refused to talk on the issue and dropped the call angrily. She did not even respond to the text messages she was sent.