ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Wednesday ordered the Sindh and Balochistan provincial healthcare commissions to submit a report regarding cardiac stents.
A three-member SC bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed and comprising Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel and Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi heard the case regarding substandard cardiac stents.
During the course of proceedings, it was revealed that there was only one certified cardiac doctor in the whole Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). The apex court expressed anger over the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of KP Healthcare Commission. “It is shocking to have only one certified cardiac doctor in the entire KP province,” the CJP remarked. He then inquired about how 4,615 heart procedures were performed in the KP in the last one year with just a single certified cardiac doctor.
The chief justice stated that the KP Healthcare Commission CEO should resign from his position.
Unregistered, unqualified doctors should not be allowed to perform surgery: SC
The Punjab Healthcare Commission CEO informed the court that the province had total 40 certified cardiologists. To this, the CJP remarked that there should be 40 certified doctors in Lahore alone.
Justice Mazahir Ali Akbar Naqvi maintained that the issue of heart disease had turned into a business and was out of the hands of professiona l doctors.
Regarding the substandard quality of stents, Dr Azhar Kayani stated that the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) did not approve the stents approved by the National Interventional Cardiology Board (NICB). “Substandard stents are being administered to the patients instead of the NICB approved ones,” he added. The court further maintained that unregistered and unqualified doctors should not be allowed to perform surgery. “Any negligence in this regard will be the responsibility of the healthcare commission concerned,” the court maintained. Later, the case was adjourned till date in office.