The Sindh High Court (SHC) has instructed private and government hospitals to immediately reopen their emergency wards and outpatient departments (OPDs) across the province.
Hearing a petition against the failure of hospitals in providing treatment to patients other than that of COVID-19, SHC reprimanded hospitals’ administrations and has instructed both private and government hospitals to reopen their emergency and OPD facilities on urgent basis.
Expressing concerns over failure of hospitals in providing treatment to patients, Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar stated, “We should know how patients are being treated at emergency wards and OPDs Is it necessary to take coronavirus tests of patients who are suffering from other diseases?”
“If the poor are not treated at government hospitals than this is unacceptable,” he added.
The petitioners – Asim Iqbal and Nadeem Shaikh highlighted the cost of hospitals’ negligence and their refusal to provide treatment to patients amid virus pandemic.
“Patients suffering from heart attacks are dying due to delays in the coronavirus reports,” noted the petitioner’s lawyer.
The court has issued noticed to all the stakeholders including national health services, provincial health secretary, three major government hospitals and five private hospitals to appear before the court and submit their replies on the issue on May 19.
