Nashwa case: Two doctors escape from Karachi court after cancellation of interim bail

[Ali Tariq]

Shafi Baloch | Naeem Sahoutara | Updated May 03, 2019

The nine-month-old girl suffering from diarrhoea was allegedly given improper treatment at the Darul Sehat Hospital on April 7 that paralysed her and led to her death. — Photo courtesy DawnNewsTV

Two doctors allegedly involved in a case pertaining to the death of nine-month-old Nashwa managed to flee from a court in Karachi on Friday — a day after police filed an interim charge sheet and incorporated the offence of murder in the report.

Chief medical head Dr Sharjeel Husain and night duty doctor Atiya Ahmed ran away in the presence of policemen today after the interim pre-arrest bail granted to them last week was cancelled.

They had obtained interim bail against a surety bond of Rs300,000 each on April 25 to avoid their arrest in the case.

The additional district and sessions judge observed that the postmortem report of the toddler supported the allegations of medical negligence levelled by the complainant. He said that now that the nature of the offence had changed after Nashwa’s death, granting pre-arrest bail may affect the merits of the investigation of the case.

Meanwhile, in another development in the case, the Sindh High Court today issued orders for the reopening of the sealed sections of Darul Sehat Hospital after the hospital management approached the court seeking a reversal of the decision. Justice Junaid Ghaffar also issued a notice to both the plaintiff and the defendant to submit their responses to the Court.

The nine-month-old girl suffering from diarrhoea was allegedly given improper treatment at the Darul Sehat Hospital on April 7 that left her paralysed and eventually led to her death. Subsequently, parts of the hospital had been sealed and several staffers were arrested after a case was filed.

Read: Nashwa’s death is tragic. What can be done to prevent such incidents?

On Thursday, the investigation officer had filed an interim charge sheetagainst the owner, administration and medical staff of the private hospital and incorporated the offence of murder in the report.

The interim charge sheet was filed under Section 173 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) before a judicial magistrate (East) and requested that a 15-day period be allowed to file a final charge sheet.

In the interim charge sheet, IO Sub-Inspector Mohammad Saleem Khan nominated 13 detained and absconding members of the hospital’s administration and medical staff.

Those detained in prison on judicial remand included nursing in-charge Atif Javed, nursing assistant Agha Moiz, female staffer Sobia Irshad, deputy administration officer Ahmer Shahzad, while chief medical head Dr Sharjeel Husain and night duty doctor Atiya Ahmed were shown to be on bail.

The IO had shown chairman of the Darul Sehat Hospital Amir Chishti, vice-chairman Syed Ali Farhan, director (HR) Irfan Aslam, executive director Dr Shehzad Alam, nursing head Dr Rizwan Azmi and Syed Shabbar Hussain Zaidi as absconders in the interim charge sheet.

In the charge sheet, the IO had mentioned that he inspected the private health facility, collected evidence, including the CCTV footage showing staffer Sobia Irshad preparing the injection and later nursing assistant Agha Moiz injecting the same to the girl.

The IO said statements of complainant and suspects had been recorded and listed 25 persons as witnesses. The judge gave the IO until May 5 to submit the final charge sheet.

 

[PurAzamBaHadaf]

Speaks volumes of the professionalism of the police... how the hell do you let 2 people escape from court smh

 

[Ali Tariq]

Don't have words to condemn this criminal activity and negligence from out institutes.....
Don't know how many precious lives we have lost till now...

 

[war&peace]

Two doctors allegedly involved in a case pertaining to the death of nine-month-old Nashwa managed to flee from a court in Karachi on Friday

How come ? Except if the police is an accomplice in the crime and I remember how the police officer was threatening the father of the deceased girl of bad repercussion for him and discouraging him to file the FIR against the hospital. It seems the hospital belong to some powerful shadowy character.

 

[Ali Tariq]

Nashwa death case: Arrest warrants issued for 6 absconding suspects

May 06, 2019

Nashwa, a nine-month-old girl, was suffering from diarrhoea when she was allegedly given improper treatment at the Darul Sehat Hospital on April 7 that left her paralysed and eventually led to her death. — Photo courtesy: DawnNewsTV/File

A local court in Karachi on Monday issued warrants for the arrest of six absconding suspects, including two doctors, nominated in the Nashwa death case.

Nashwa, a nine-month-old girl, was suffering from diarrhoea when she was allegedly given improper treatment at the Darul Sehat Hospital on April 7 that left her paralysed and eventually led to her death. Subsequently, parts of the hospital had been sealed and several staffers were arrested.

The hospital’s owner Amir Chishti and vice-chairman Syed Ali Farhan along with six absconding and four detained administration and medical staffers were nominated in a case registered under Sections 302 (premeditated murder), 322 (punishment for qatl bis-sabab) 337 (Shajjah: causing hurt) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code on the complaint of the minor’s father Qaiser Ali.

A judicial magistrate (East) today ordered the arrests of all six absconding suspects, including the hospital’s director (HR) Irfan Aslam, executive director Dr Shehzad Alam, nursing head Dr Rizwan Azmi, chief medical officer Dr Syed Sharjeel Hassan, night duty doctor/RMO Dr Attiya Ahmed and another Syed Shabbar Rizvi, directing the authorities to produce them before the court in the next hearing.

It is pertinent to mention here that in the case's previous hearing on May 3, Dr Hassan and Dr Ahmed had managed to flee the court of an additional district and sessions’ judge after their interim pre-arrest bails were cancelled.

 

[Dubious]

Dr Hassan and Dr Ahmed had managed to flee the court of an additional district and sessions’ judge after their interim pre-arrest bails were cancelled.

What a shit court? How did they allow this?

And pre-arrest bail should be thrown out the window and banned in this country! I am not sure HOW those who are suspected can be allowed to roam the streets let alone disappear?!

interim bail

THIS is a curse on our nation!

 

[Thorough Pro]

Because their is no accountability, no policemen has ever been jailed for failing to do his duty and judges are as incompetent as everone else for failing to take notice of this issue for the last 70 years. They are all naked in this bath

Speaks volumes of the professionalism of the police... how the hell do you let 2 people escape from court smh

 

[ziaulislam]

What a shit court? How did they allow this?

And pre-arrest bail should be thrown out the window and banned in this country! I am not sure HOW those who are suspected can be allowed to roam the streets let alone disappear?!


THIS is a curse on our nation!

Question is what did the doctors do wrong here..as far as we know it was wrog doing on part of nurse..

But let's assume doctor did order the wrong medication well the world wide common law is (common sense law) that mistakes do happen and punishing people for mistakes will only make doctors hide those mistakes and cause more mistakes ..
Its estimated that two jumbo size plans size people die in USA in mistakes

And 100x more in Pakistan because doctors/nurse are not protected so mistakes are not reported and no effort is done to fix these mistakes


Pakistan is probably the only country in the world where common sense doesnt exist..
From corruption laws to bankrupcy laws to civil laws to above example..

Pretty much sums our health problem and us being behind african countries (forget about india Bangladesh there is no comparison, they are LIGHT years ahead of us)

Example:
If police does wrong shooting, punishing thr polcie officer will simplt cause more problems rather than finding why did it happen

Wrong medicine ordered or interpreted by nurse , punishing the nurse/doc is going to cause more problems rather than finding out why it happened

Get a road accident punishing a driver (if he is obviously not drunk) will cause more problems than finding out why it happened

The science of this and RCA (root cause analysis ) was established way back in 1970s

Simply shows our health sector (& population mentality) is stuck in 1960s ..no wonder we have highest maternal fetal mortality in the world..i use to blame doctors for it but seeing this event i think its the society to blame..
Such events will make doctors hide mistakes and thus mistakes will happen even more ..most skill people will dimply not want to practice and hence continued brain drain

 

[Dubious]

Question is what did the doctors do wrong here..as far as we know it was wrog doing on part of nurse.

With great positions comes great responsibilities ....we need to show our doctors are responsible people...

Everyone knows our nurses are not Western standard heck they can't even near Philippino nurses so question is where were the doctors were they supervising the nurses? If they are so innocent why did they run and not prove their innocence ?

But let's assume doctor did order the wrong medication well the world wide common law is (common sense law) that mistakes do happen and punishing people for mistakes will only make doctors hide those mistakes and cause more mistakes ..
Its estimated that two jumbo size plans size people die in USA in mistakes

So what happens in USA when some patient dies due to such negligence? They go to court....they most likely lose their licence. ..they don't take pre-arrest bails...they don't run and hide

And 100x more in Pakistan because doctors/nurse are not protected so mistakes are not reported and no effort is done to fix these mistakes

And why us that?

It is because doctors think of themselves great due to the fact that they have a dr title. I have seen nothing but arrogance in Pakistani doctors...they just run after money....and the level of negligence is really high in Pakistan from doctors busy eating when on call to giving preference to their sleep when on call...they have no sense of responsibility. ...

In europe the doctor will open the door for you shake your hand and ask you how you feel. They will explain to you what the hey are thinking is bothering you and why the hey hey chose this med.

In Pakistan doctor will be fashionably late. Throw in a snide remark if you ask him what is wrong with you or why suggest the hey hey his med....I personally have experienced this repeatedly...they think they don't need to explain anything and that everyone is dumber than them. ..they barely give you 5 mins...how is this showing any sense of responsible? I know there may be better doctors and not all are like these arrogant but you have to admit a fair share are pompous beyond believe

Pakistan is probably the only country in the world where common sense doesnt exist..
From corruption laws to bankrupcy laws to civil laws to above example..

Pretty much sums our health problem and us being behind african countries (forget about india Bangladesh there is no comparison, they are LIGHT years ahead of us)

So it is common sense to hide and run when you are innocent and allow a suspect free just coz he has the doctor title and has taken oath to protect life?

I call this doctor mafia and it is the sole reason why all these appalling cases can be seen in Pakistan

Example:
If police does wrong shooting, punishing thr polcie officer will simplt cause more problems rather than finding why did it happen

Wrong medicine ordered or interpreted by nurse , punishing the nurse/doc is going to cause more problems rather than finding out why it happened

Now this form of thinking is lacking common sense....

Finding reason why wrong med is given was supposed to happen when the poor child became paralysed nog when she died...

I am sorry but if you see anywhere around the world if the patient dies you are responsible ....as a police as well as a doctor...heck even if someone dies in your custody in the police station....a whole investigation takes place...so let the whole investigation take place instead of running and showing Pakistan that even with a doctor degree...which is respected like anything. ...common sense really doesn't prevail

Get a road accident punishing a driver (if he is obviously not drunk) will cause more problems than finding out why it happened

Yea but if the driver runs away....you know something is fishy

It's called hit and run and it is against the laws of many countries

no wonder we have highest maternal fetal mortality in the world..i use to blame doctors for it but seeing this event i think its the society to blame..

Now this kind of mentality blame the ski born child on the population is what is causing doctor mafia. ..

The min doctors start taking their jobs seriously and being responsible will be the day we get out of this kind of shit

Being a doctor is not the same as a popcorn seller so stop expecting same leniency. ...If you can't handle the responsibility don't be a doctor coz you will just ruin lives (meaning not all doc are bad ...There are some responsible ones but there are some who arent)

 

[ziaulislam]

With great positions comes great responsibilities ....we need to show our doctors are responsible people...

Everyone knows our nurses are not Western standard heck they can't even near Philippino nurses so question is where were the doctors were they supervising the nurses? If they are so innocent why did they run and not prove their innocence ?


So what happens in USA when some patient dies due to such negligence? They go to court....they most likely lose their licence. ..they don't take pre-arrest bails...they don't run and hide


And why us that?

It is because doctors think of themselves great due to the fact that they have a dr title. I have seen nothing but arrogance in Pakistani doctors...they just run after money....and the level of negligence is really high in Pakistan from doctors busy eating when on call to giving preference to their sleep when on call...they have no sense of responsibility. ...

In europe the doctor will open the door for you shake your hand and ask you how you feel. They will explain to you what the hey are thinking is bothering you and why the hey hey chose this med.

In Pakistan doctor will be fashionably late. Throw in a snide remark if you ask him what is wrong with you or why suggest the hey hey his med....I personally have experienced this repeatedly...they think they don't need to explain anything and that everyone is dumber than them. ..they barely give you 5 mins...how is this showing any sense of responsible? I know there may be better doctors and not all are like these arrogant but you have to admit a fair share are pompous beyond believe


So it is common sense to hide and run when you are innocent and allow a suspect free just coz he has the doctor title and has taken oath to protect life?

I call this doctor mafia and it is the sole reason why all these appalling cases can be seen in Pakistan


Now this form of thinking is lacking common sense....

Finding reason why wrong med is given was supposed to happen when the poor child became paralysed nog when she died...

I am sorry but if you see anywhere around the world if the patient dies you are responsible ....as a police as well as a doctor...heck even if someone dies in your custody in the police station....a whole investigation takes place...so let the whole investigation take place instead of running and showing Pakistan that even with a doctor degree...which is respected like anything. ...common sense really doesn't prevail


Yea but if the driver runs away....you know something is fishy

It's called hit and run and it is against the laws of many countries


Now this kind of mentality blame the ski born child on the population is what is causing doctor mafia. ..

The min doctors start taking their jobs seriously and being responsible will be the day we get out of this kind of shit

Being a doctor is not the same as a popcorn seller so stop expecting same leniency. ...If you can't handle the responsibility don't be a doctor coz you will just ruin lives (meaning not all doc are bad ...There are some responsible ones but there are some who arent)

Either follow scientific logic or Desi logic
Scientific logic= punishing doctors/nurses for mistakes will make things worse
Desi logic = great wotk great responsibilities

Scientific logic= if mistake happens, an RCA is done to see what happened. Noone wants mistakes by choice. Were there instructions on the packaging were they read etc ?

Desi logic= they earn too much

As i said this desi logic has brought Pakistan to human development index of 150 most starving african countries are doing better. Bangladesh is now at 130..
Pakistan maternal mortality rates are 5X or 500% more than srilanka

This Desi logic is common not only in society but doctors themselves..the reason why most cream leaves the country

Oh Desi logic = doctors are not seriously taking their job in UK or USA because if they had, we would not have been seeing 1000s dying due to mistakes..
They only take their job seriously in Pakistan where you seldom hear of any mistake

Also which world are you talking about.?
I have practiced in Pakistan UK and USA. Have met people in conference from literally every country

Being responsible and being persecuted are too widely different things

Looking back doctors usually kill 10-20 people during their training 100x more in Pakistanas its never reported or no form of RCA(aka JIT) is formed or done to find who and why...no who/why no= improvement

 

[Baghial]

Speaks volumes of the professionalism of the police... how the hell do you let 2 people escape from court smh

Master in this art of escaping from justice...
Our ex PM. Cm.dm.coas...all examples...ask them how....
In fact we let them get away......
If awaam stand up for justice...no power in world can stop it...
But our awaam have been impotent systamatically...once a lion......now a sheep......
When lion is fed grass... his meat eating teeths will become useless and fall......just like our awaam...

 

[ziaulislam]

--
Wanted to reply on the hit and run example..


Every person will do a hit and run if he is granteed to be persecuted regardlessly of fixing the responsibility as it happens in Pakistan ..so everyone ends up doing hit and run..in other countries the driver will help the victim but in Pakistan he will run to save his life and i cant blame him

A metro bus hits a women crossing a restricted acess road..in Pakistan the driver ran away..in any other country he would have helped the injured as by default he wasnt responsible but what did the media says...metro bus responsible for death, driver killed an innocent person..blah blah

--
What Pakistan is going through now west has gone through in 1930-1950s when medical ethics and rules were set down..pretty much sums up where we are thus i dont see any progress..we are at 150 and will probably end up around 170 in next 10 years baring a few conflict countries everyone will move ahead of us

Next time when you go to any hospital emergency ward bar from a few private hospital notice these
1. Lack of defib in wards (cost 20,000 rs)
2. Lack of bedsound ultra sounds(cost 50-80000rs)
3. Lack if emergency caths or endoscopes (cath lab costs less than 5crore rupees)
4. Lack of any cleaning equipment (as recently happened case of hepc with Pakistani cricketer ..now that is not mistake but negligence in not cleaning equipment can lead to license suspension ) all hospitals have dysfunctional autoclaves use to be functional in 1980s
5. Lack of any aoritc valve surgeries a certain death sentence for elderly a procedure present since last 20 years(last i check a few docs from usa comes and do it but that's it)
6.lack of blood cultures or appropriate use of antibiotics
7. Lack of dialysis and cleaning equipment ..using same equipment for virally different hepatitis c
8 lack of simple ventilators abd their training for a common doc

These on average would cause 30-40 deaths per day at highest level care hospital in Peshawar where i did my house job. Noone cared ..noone asked..remeber a batch of new ambulances to carry the dead outside brought brand new, costed more than the above 8 issues

So why above 8 happen...because people don't ask questions or doctors dont strive to improve things...because of our society ..people are asking the wrong question ..question should be why is doctor not present at duty , is not skilled enough for bed side ultrasound or major surgeries ..not why a doctor not punished for a wrong injection but was it given and how to stop it in future !

Society needs to act as society rather than being individual

For example a vaccine can kill a person and bring anayphlaxis or oral polio can go wild and give you polio so why we use oral polio instead of injectible because oral polio is far more superior in herald immunity /rooting out polio first..here the societies ignored personal benefit for the greater good of society as whole ...persecution of doctors for doing mistakes rather than persecuting them for being absent/not doing duties and not arranging for their training will simply lead to things getting worse..and worse they will and worse they are..

 

[Dubious]

Scientific logic= punishing doctors/nurses for mistakes will make things worse

What science are you using to analyze this?

So basically law is only for the illiterate and poor ONLY?

Desi logic = great wotk great responsibilities

This actually is the advice Peter Parker's uncle gave him in spiderman...It is far from desi logic!

Desi logic is like yours which sums up to = NEVER touch a doctor!

Desi logic= they earn too much

Well it isnt really a lie! They do earn higher than the average man! They also give less time per patient than the average doctor worldwide..so overall they earn more by seeing more patients...It is like quantity over quality race!

As i said this desi logic has brought Pakistan to human development index of 150 most starving african countries are doing better. Bangladesh is now at 130..
Pakistan maternal mortality rates are 5X or 500% more than srilanka

Yea, blame the dead baby, the dead mother in the maternity ward but never the doctor...Desi logic 101!

Also which world are you talking about.?
I have practiced in Pakistan UK and USA. Have met people in conference from literally every country

Being responsible and being persecuted are too widely different things

So how are they responsible? By running away from court trials? Very responsible indeed!

Looking back doctors usually kill 10-20 people during their training 100x more in Pakistanas its never reported or no form of RCA(aka JIT) is formed or done to find who and why...no who/why no= improvement

Yea it is never reported coz doctors run away!

Wanted to reply on the hit and run example..


Every person will do a hit and run if he is granteed to be persecuted regardlessly of fixing the responsibility as it happens in Pakistan ..so everyone ends up doing hit and run..in other countries the driver will help the victim but in Pakistan he will run to save his life and i cant blame him

A metro bus hits a women crossing a restricted acess road..in Pakistan the driver ran away..in any other country he would have helped the injured as by default he wasnt responsible but what did the media says...metro bus responsible for death, driver killed an innocent person..blah blah

--
What Pakistan is going through now west has gone through in 1930-1950s when medical ethics and rules were set down..pretty much sums up where we are thus i dont see any progress..we are at 150 and will probably end up around 170 in next 10 years baring a few conflict countries everyone will move ahead of us

Next time when you go to any hospital emergency ward bar from a few private hospital notice these
1. Lack of defib in wards (cost 20,000 rs)
2. Lack of bedsound ultra sounds(cost 50-80000rs)
3. Lack if emergency caths or endoscopes (cath lab costs less than 5crore rupees)
4. Lack of any cleaning equipment (as recently happened case of hepc with Pakistani cricketer ..now that is not mistake but negligence in not cleaning equipment can lead to license suspension ) all hospitals have dysfunctional autoclaves use to be functional in 1980s
5. Lack of any aoritc valve surgeries a certain death sentence for elderly a procedure present since last 20 years(last i check a few docs from usa comes and do it but that's it)
6.lack of blood cultures or appropriate use of antibiotics
7. Lack of dialysis and cleaning equipment ..using same equipment for virally different hepatitis c
8 lack of simple ventilators abd their training for a common doc

Yea these are lacking that is on the govt but what about running away on trial?

You can twist and turn as you like but running away already spells something fishy!

 

[ziaulislam]

Look its Pakistan people choice what they want and i respect that..same way i respect them for choosing sharifs but they should know the consequences

science is undeniable here...

Science is if you prosecute medical errors more errors will happen and more people will die...as simple as that..

now if people of Pakistan choose this they can they have a free will but they should know what they are choosing and should not cry about health care

Remeber there are no two opinions in developed world about medical errors...the reason why i called the logic of prosecution of medical errors as third world /desi as its completely opposite of what you see in developed world where medical errors because of this behavior are far far less.

There are complete books written on this..and this has been discussed to deaths..its like discussing whether the world is flat or round

So i see no point in discussion on this just letting you know that if people choose so they can no one can is stopping Pakistani people but consequences are clear ..i was only explaning the how it happens..which is simple people will hide mistakes and noone apart from that doctor can figure out he did a mistake ..there will be no M&M(daily morbidity and mortality) conference there will be No RCA...virtually half of medicine is based upon patient mistakes!!

So if you take half of that out you kill any further medicine development... exactly whats happening in Pakistan..exactly the reason of why we are behind african starving states in medicine ..lack of accountability because of multiple reasons including fear of prosecution

So i have no objections to Pakistani wanting to do this the same way i have no objections for people refusing treatment ...its their choice their body..if society wants this be my guest..99% of time docs will not be caught as there is no way you will know to begin with..after all we can always state "allah ko manzoor tha aur moot haq hey" and this is whats happening

So choose for yourself ..