Punjab moves against doctors, officers over Lady Wellington Hospital video case

• On Punjab CM’s directives, senior administrative officials served show-cause notices

• Five doctors referred for disciplinary proceedings as multiple officials suspended in fallout

• Patient privacy breach triggers action as senior staff accused of oversight failure

 LAHORE: Acting on the directives of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, the Health Department has initiated strict action over the alleged video incident at Lady Willingdon Hospital, issuing show-cause notices to senior administrative officials and referring five postgraduate doctors to the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC) for disciplinary proceedings.

Taking serious notice of the incident, the department moved against Dr. Tayyaba, Dr. Maham, Dr. Zainab, Dr. Ayesha, and Dr. Essa for allegedly recording a patient’s video during a C-section surgery, a move described as a grave breach of patient privacy and medical ethics.

In addition, proceedings under the PEEDA Act have been initiated against former Medical Superintendent Dr. Farah, Head of Department Dr. Uzma, Senior Consultant Anesthesia Dr. Muneer, Senior Registrar Dr. Rutaba, Dr. Munazza, and Senior Woman Medical Officer Dr. Dur-e-Aram. The MS, HOD and other senior doctors have been charged with negligence, administrative lapses and failure of oversight.

Secretary Health Azmat Mahmood has sought written explanations from all concerned within seven days. Secretary Law Asif Bilal Lodhi and Secretary Local Government Mian Shakeel Ahmed have been appointed as hearing officers, while all doctors and officials involved have been directed to appear in person or submit written responses within the stipulated timeframe.

Show-cause notices have also been issued to additional staff, including former WMO Dr. Iqra Hafeez, Charge Nurse Dr. Iqra Zahid, Charge Nurse Fauzia Rashid and staff member Haseebur Rauf.

Earlier, the Punjab government suspended senior administrative and medical staff after the incident surfaced through the Chief Minister’s Complaint Cell. The suspensions included the Medical Superintendent, Head of Department, a woman medical officer, five postgraduate resident doctors, two nurses and a hospital staff member, all of whom have been directed to report to their respective departments.

Earlier, four lady doctors had also been suspended in connection with the same case, indicating an expanding probe into the breach.

According to official sources, the video was allegedly recorded during a C-section procedure and later circulated, constituting a serious violation of patient privacy and professional conduct.

Acting swiftly on the chief minister’s directives, the Punjab government has underscored a zero-tolerance policy toward any conduct that compromises patient dignity and healthcare standards.

In a statement, Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique said violations of hospital standard operating procedures (SOPs) would not be tolerated under any circumstances. Secretary Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Azmat Mahmood also condemned the incident, terming it a blatant violation of medical ethics and an affront to patient dignity.