KARACHI: The Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC) administration has failed to control the forced transfer of patients from the Orthopedic ward to private hospitals. This malpractice case went unnoticed by the new management of the hospital.
Reliable sources said that some doctors at Jinnah Hospital were allegedly involved in shifting patients to private hospitals. These doctors would transfer patients from the Emergency ward, the Orthopedic OPD, and the Orthopedic wards with excuses such as unavailability of beds and lack of surgical items and medicines. The patients were being shifted to private hospitals, specifically Kamal Hospital, where patients were treated and operated on at a steep price.
The doctors have been posted in the Orthopedic Ward and are reportedly affiliated with the JPMC Doctors Association. They remained absent from duties in JPMC but could be found in private hospitals performing surgeries for extra fees.
This process started during the previous administration and continues to date. These doctors target lower socioeconomic patients from Balochistan, Interior Sindh, Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and South Punjab.
When contacted, Dr Naeem Khan, the President of the Jinnah Doctors Association, said that their association believes in serving the patients. If any doctor is found involved, strict action will be taken.
On the other hand, Dr Sajjad of the Young Doctors Association said that transfer of patients to private hospitals is cruel, and action should be taken against such elements.
An administrative officer of Jinnah Hospital confirmed that due to the increase in road accidents in the city and shortage of beds in orthopaedic wards, some doctors are taking advantage of the opportunity. He said that some doctors had already been investigated in the past due to such complaints.