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President imposes fine, orders Shifa hospital to refund Rs2.9 mln over patient’s death

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President imposes fine, orders Shifa hospital to refund Rs2.9 mln over patient's death

President Dr Arif Alvi on Saturday directed the Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority (IHRA) to issue instructions to Shifa International Hospital Islamabad (SHIFA) to refund an amount of Rs2.9 million to the daughter of a patient who died due to the medical negligence, professional misconduct, and malpractice of the doctors of the hospital.

The president also upheld the imposition of fine of Rs900,000 on SHIFA as maladministration and medical negligence had been proven against the hospital, President Secretariat Press Wing said in a press release on Saturday.

The president issued these directions while rejecting a representation filed by IHRA against the orders of the federal ombudsman in which the ombudsman had held that the complainant (deceased patient’s daughter) had been discriminated against as in a similar case in the past, IHRA had not only imposed a fine on SHIFA but had also issued the directions to the hospital to refund the amount in lieu of medical bills.

He ordered that the refund should be paid within a week to the complainant.

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While rejecting IHRA’s representation, the president observed that IHRA had investigated the complaints, found medical negligence and imposed fine of Rs900,000 upon SHIFA which had also been received by IHRA and thus medical negligence had been established upon the healthcare establishment.

He further said that IHRA did not direct the hospital to reimburse actual amount of medical bill incurred on the treatment of the complainant’s mother as per orders of the learned ombudsman whereas in another case namely Dr Iqtidar Mehmood Dara against Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad, IHRA had held that “The medical bill should be refunded to the complainant by SHIFA International Hospital”.

The president held that it was an established principle that similarly placed persons should be treated alike and equal treatment to all is the hallmark of our Constitution i.e. Article 4 and 25.

He said that the object and purpose of the law would be fulfilled only when the complainant was provided relief for any negligence by the hospital. “The Agency must have been more vigilant and watchful to fulfil its responsibilities”, he added.

The president further observed that the main purpose of the establishment of Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority was to provide a regulatory framework to ensure provision of quality health care services, by implementing quality standards by the healthcare sector, to residents of the Islamabad Capital Territory”.

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He noted that IHRA was responsible to “exercise any powers and perform any functions as may be necessary for carrying out the purposes of its Act on the instruction of the Federal Government”, and since maladministration and negligence had been established and it had not been assailed by SHIFA, therefore, the orders had been rightly passed, and the representation deserved to be rejected.

As per details, Mst Farrukh Naeem Tahir (the complainant) had alleged that her mother was diagnosed with COVID-19 who died due to the negligence of the doctors of SHIFA and she lodged a complaint before IHRA against the hospital and IHRA imposed a fine of Rs900,000/- on the hospital for committing negligence but did not ask the hospital to refund the medical bill amounting to Rs2,979,637 as per order of the ombudsman.

Thereafter, she filed a review application and requested to re-open the case and re-visit its earlier decision with the direction to IHRA to issue instructions to the hospital to refund the medical bill.

The ombudsman issued the orders in her favour, which were impugned by IHRA by filing a representation with the president.

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President Alvi confers awards on high achievers on momentous day

President Alvi confers awards on high achievers on momentous day

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President Alvi confers awards on high achievers on momentous day

President Dr Arif Alvi on Thursday conferred civil honours upon various personalities, including foreign nationals, for their contributions in different fields at an investiture ceremony at Aiwan-i-Sadr on Pakistan Day. 

Prominent among those who were conferred with the civil awards are senior journalist Mujeebur Rehman Shami, social worker Ramzan Cheepa, renowned scholar Dr Anees Ahmed, Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori and Inspector General of Islamabad Police Dr Akbar Nasir Khan.

The late poet Amjad Islam Amjad, Saghir Siddique, Sufi Ghulam Mustafa Tabassum, Justice retired Rana Bhagwan Das, actor Qavi Khan and others were among those honoured posthumously at the investiture ceremony.

Squash legends Jahangir Khan and Jan Sher Khan, Sartaj Aziz, Mir Hasil Bizenjo and Ahmed Ghulam Ali Chagla have also been conferred with awards.

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The president also bestowed Tamgha-e-Shujaat on martyred Amir Nawaz Khan, martyred Muhammad Kamran, retired Col Muhammad Arif, Muhammad Usman Shehbaz, Dr Kamran Ahmed, Sher Ahmed, Tanveer Hussain, Amjad Ahmed, Mazhar Nawaz Sheikh, Frontier Constabulary’s Zeeshan Ahmed, Naveed Ahmed, Ziaur Rehman and martyred Javedullah while Muhammad Bilal Raja, Mubashir Saleem, Minhas Ahmed Khan and Ijaz Hafeez were also honoured at the ceremony.

Similar ceremonies were also held at the Governor Houses in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Punjab Governor Baligur Rehman conferred Sitara-e-Imtiaz on Pakistan skipper Babar Azam and others.

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Miftah blames Dar for sabotaging IMF deal

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Blaming Finance Minister Ishaq Dar for sabotaging the deal, PML-N leader Miftah Ismail claimed that International Monetary Fund (IMF) was not interested in releasing money to Pakistan as the Washington-based lender had no trust in Islamabad government.

Speaking during a session titled ‘Pakistan in the Midst of Crisis’ organised by a private university in Karachi, former finance minister said when he was heading the Ministry of Finance he spoke to the IMF officials and assured them that Paki¬stan would not make false statements or violate the agreement; however, when Ishar Dar was sworn in ‘he sabotaged the agreement’.

He recalled that Pakistan had three times made sovereign commitments and then backtracked on them. “Now the IMF is not interested in giving money to Pakistan,” he said, emphasising that the Fund doesn’t trust the government in Islamabad.

Pakistan continues to woo the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to secure the much-needed bailout from the global lender. Pakistan is now the only South Asian country that’s yet to secure a bailout from the multilateral lender as Sri Lanka clinched financing this week and Bangladesh pushes on with carrying out IMF-mandated reforms.

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Pakistan has taken tough measures including increasing taxes and energy prices, and allowing its currency to weaken to restart a $6.5 billion IMF loan package. The funds will offer some relief to a nation still reeling from a dollar shortage that has raised the probability of the economy slipping into a recession ahead of elections this year.

Regarding the petrol relief subsidy announced by the government on Sunday, Miftah said that he believed this formula would not be effective. “We provide subsidies on petrol by taking loans,” he said.

Miftah warned that if Pakistan defaulted it would have grave consequences for the country as people belonging to the rich segment will bear the brunt but the poor people won’t be able to make ends meet.  

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Pakistan Day: PM Shehbaz sees economic instability, political chaos as major challenges

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Pakistan Day: PM Shehbaz sees economic instability, political chaos as major challenges

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Thursday the nation should not lose sight of the challenges staring it in the face.  

“The challenges are topped by a combination of economic instability and the inability to settle the rules of the game. An environment of political chaos explains why we have failed to develop our economy on a sustainable basis,” the prime minister said in a statement issued on the eve of the Pakistan Day. “This day is also the day to renew our pledge,” he stressed.

The premier said Pakistan came into being as a result of political and constitutional struggle and its future lies in adhering to the constitution in its letter and spirit.

“I have no doubt that Pakistan is destined to achieve great heights. However, for this to become a reality, we have to forge unity in our ranks, equip ourselves with national purpose and vow to wage a struggle in line with the legacy of our forefathers,” the prime minister said in a message on Pakistan Day being observed on Thursday.

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The prime minister said the 23rd of March was an epoch-making day in their national history that reminded them of their past, invited them to ponder over the present state of affairs, and inspired them to build a prosperous future.

The prime minister said it took them back to 1940 when Muslims of the sub-continent approved a resolution for the establishment of a separate homeland they could call their own under the dynamic leadership of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

Allama Muhammad Iqbal’s dream of freedom manifested itself in the form of a resolution representing Muslims’ demands, and aspirations for a separate homeland, he added.

The prime minister said the consequential seven years witnessed history in the making as the Quaid-i-Azam led a relentless struggle to translate the dream of Iqbal into reality. The establishment of Pakistan was certainly a miracle of the 20th century.

“The last seventy-five years of our journey have seen us fight many crises from wars to natural disasters. There have been many occasions when we overcame the odds and achieved many milestones,” he added.

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“Let us use this day to introspect and hold ourselves to account. Only those nations that are capable of analyzing their past, learning from their mistakes, and making amends can achieve true glory,” he added.

As a member of the international community, the prime minister said Pakistan had played the role of a responsible nation in the resolution of problems facing humanity and the establishment of global peace.

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