PHC issued detailed verdict in Journalist son's death case. FIR lodged against 10 doctors

PHC issued detailed verdict in Journalist son's death case. FIR lodged against 10 doctors, SHO concerened were issued show cause notice. PMDC was directed to take legal action against defaulters doctors.

CHITRAL:  The Peshawar High court Peshawar released detail court order (verdict) in death of Muhammad Farhan case son of  Senior Journalist Gul Hamaad Farooqi a Chitral based journalist. A Division bench comprising over  Honorable Chief Justice Mr. Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim hear the case of Muhammad Farhan who was died due to negligence of doctors. The PHC also directed Senior Superintendent of Police to take departmental action against the Station House officer who not lodged FIR timely in Farhan case. Police was directed to lodged FIR against the defaulters.  SSP operation issued show cause notice to SHO Muhammad Noor inspector of KRS police station on 19 Dec 2018 (back date).

As well as the PHC also directed Pakistan Medical and Dental Council Islamabad to take legal action against those doctors who committed criminal negligence in death of Farhan Case. On the order of PHC the   city police have requested the senior superintendent of police (SSP) Peshawar to approach the health department authorities to direct 10 doctors to surrender to the police in connection with an FIR registered against them for their alleged negligence that led to the death of a 13-year-old son of a Chitrali journalist about two years ago. Muhammad Farhan

Muhammad Farhan, a class 6th student, died at the Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH) Peshawar on Aug 3, 2016, after shuttling between different hospitals with a ruptured appendix.

His father Gul Hamaad Farooqui, a Chitral-based journalist, approached the local police for the registration of an FIR but the police first hesitated  and denied. Gul Hamaad Farooqi approached court of justice under 22-A Cr Pc for lodging FIR and  on the directive of Court police once again refused to lodged FIR then the journalist once again approached the court by carrying contempt of court case against Inspector Muhammad Noor SHO police station Khan Raziq Shaheed and after that police  registered the case on Dec 13, 2017, without mentioning the names of the doctors.

Later, Mr Farooqui approached court which directed the police to add the names of the doctors to the FIR. On Jan 28, 2019, the police mentioned the names of the doctors in the FIR.

The doctors are: Dr Irshad Afridi (retired) Nasirullah Khan Babar Memorial Hospital ,(NKBMH), Kohat Road, Peshawar, Dr Spin Gul, child OPD, NKBMH, Dr Ijaz Chitrali (ultrasound unit, NKBMH, Dr Muhammad Zaheen, medical superintendent, NKBMH, Prof Dr Kifayat Khan, in charge  surgical child unit, Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) Peshawar, Dr Muhammad Fayaz, junior registrar, children surgical emergency unit, LRH, Dr Jehangir, TMO, pediatric surgery unit, LRH, Dr Asghar Nawaz, house officer, pediatric surgery unit, LRH, Dr Mukhtiyar Zameen, medical director, LRH, and Prof  Dr Mazhar Khan, head of surgical ‘A’ unit/ward, Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar.

On Jan 30, 2019, a letter written by the deputy superintendent of police (DSP) City (investigation) to the SSP (operation) Peshawar stated that the complainant’s son died due to the alleged negligence of doctors. He has charged the above mentioned doctors under section 322 of Pakistan panel code  and the instant FIR has been registered against them on the direction of court.

“Therefore, it is requested that the quarters concerned of the health department may kindly be approached to issue directions to the charged doctors to surrender themselves for arrest before the local police.”

Muhammad Farhan was a student of Class-6 at the Peshawar Public School, Peshawar. According to his father, he suddenly felt pain in his abdomen and started vomiting and was rushed to the Government Naseerullah Khan Babar Memorial Hospital (City Hospital) Kohat Road, Peshawar, on July 29, 2016. But the doctors there sent him back home with an opinion that he had an injury to the stomach.

Farhan was rushed back to the same hospital when he again complained of pain in the abdomen. In the hospital, an ultrasound was conducted on July 29 but without thoroughly examining the patient the doctors sent him back home again.

As time passed, Farhan’s condition continued deteriorating and he was rushed to the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) on July 30. Once in the  Casualty who was referred to children surgical unit, the doctors prescribed a long list of medicines for him.

The same day, Farhan’s health worsened and he started complaining of a severe pain with vomiting at 11pm and was taken to the main emergency casualty department of the LRH where he was referred to the surgical ward.

However, senior doctors once again ignored the patient and did not bother to properly examine him. He was discharged at 1am the next day after writing some prescriptions saying he had a simple injury to the stomach. But Farhan continued crying of severe pain after reaching home on July 31.

On Aug 2, he was taken to the Hayatabad Medical Complex where doctors said he had appendicitis and admitted him to the surgical ward A.

After a long delay, Farhan was operated upon in the evening. But on Aug 3, at 3am, he became serious and there was no vacant bed in the surgical incentive unit.

An uncle of Farhan took him to the Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH) and arranged a bed at the ICU where Farhan was shifted at 7:30am. However, after an hour, he died there.

His father approached Peshawar high court with a writ petition and the honorable Chief justice announced this case with directives to police and PMDC for taking departmental action. His father said that this is victory of justice. He also meet Inspector General of Police Salahuddin Masood who assured him for providing full justice to him.