Health Care

- Malpractice: Despite numerous warnings issued by the National Institute of Health (NIH)
against Naegleria—a deathly amoebic infection of the brain—the Pakistan Institute of Medical
Sciences (Pims) has failed to implement standard operating procedures for containment and
prevention. As a result, visitors, patients, employees and all members of the staff remain
vulnerable to the dangers of the infection. If this was a one-off incident, some leeway could be
given to this leading hospital but Pims is often found in the center of controversy and reports of
malpractice.Pakistan has been witnessing a steady rise in Naegleria fowleri, colloquially known
as the ‘brain eating amoeba’. Karachi in particular reported its seventh case two weeks ago, and
the infection has now made its way to Lahore which confirmed its first death in July.
Considering that the disease is extremely fatal and supports a survival rate of just two percent,
its rapid transmission and proliferation across the country should be extremely concerning.
Fortunately, the solution is rather simple; chlorinated water can kill the amoeba and act as a
preventative measure.Pims is a leading hospital in Pakistan, and has over 20,000 people walk
through its doors on a daily basis. There is no doubting the fact that it has the resources and
technological means to at least chlorinate water. More so, it has a responsibility to. Hospitals
are required to adhere to strict sanitation standards not only to provide safe treatment to
patients, but to prevent the breakout of diseases. In light of this, it is absolutely unethical for
Pims to neglect as simple a procedure as chlorinating its water supply.However shocking this
lack of action may be, it is not surprising. Over the years, Pims has gained a reputation for
malpractice and mismanagement. Back in March, employees were found to be selling infectious
medical waste by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). In June, the hospital was blamed for
the deaths of four patients who died due to heat strokes and suffocation since the air
conditioning system was not functional. In July, Pims had not purchased new ventilators in the
last five years despite there being a demand for them. During this period, the hospital also
underwent the outbreak of Covid-19, so questions of how many patients were denied the
resources needed to treat them were posed. Evidently, there is a serious administrative and
quality control problem at Pims which, despite receiving immense media attention, has been
largely unaddressed by the authorities. Now would be the time for everyone to act, before
more lives are lost.

The Nation September 04, 2023