Does Anyone Care?
Little three year old Imanae lived abroad. She came to Lahore Pakistan with her parents for the annual Eid festival. She will not be going back. On November 29th she got a burn injury on her hand from hot water. Her father rushed her to the most expensive hospital in the city—Doctors Hospital. Imanae was given three shots to sedate her. She died in her fathers arms. The sedatives she was injected with were not for children. Her parents are shattered and her father is running around for justice. Imanae is gone----does anyone care?
The Doctors Hospital is a commercial venture by a group of US based doctors for profit. There have been reports of in-fighting among the owners. The hospital employs local doctors and nursing staff and has tried but failed to establish itself as a center of excellence. It remains what it was meant to be---a profit making concern. The hospital has not expressed regret publicly nor has it made any announcement. In fact it resisted efforts to investigate and release documentation immediately.
The Chief Minister has ordered an inquiry. The Chief Justice has taken suo moto notice. These processes will take time. The Hospital needs to accept responsibility. The Hospital needs to publicly regret what has happened. The Hospital needs to announce what steps it is taking to deal with the medical staff responsible for this tragedy. The Hospital needs to be inspected by a high level team to determine if it is fit to continue operating. None of this is likely to happen---the owners in Pakistan are well connected. They have political ambitions and were part of the previous Punjab government.
Imanae by her death has told us how important it is to be vigilant and never to trust hospitals, doctors and nurses. Parents and adult patients need to ask questions at every step and not take skill levels for granted. Not when you are paying. Demand the best and you will get it. We have a media that is ready to expose lapses and a judiciary that acts when government fails---let us strengthen them. This should be little Imanae’s legacy---may she rest in peace.
