THE way patients are treated in an undignified and traumatic manner at our public sector hospitals is known to everybody but it is really unfortunate and condemnable that even the dead bodies are not safe from their inconsideration.
The disturbing visual of putrefied bodies supposedly abandoned on the roof of the Nishtar Hospital’s Mortuary in Multan shared on social media has shocked everybody.
Following a massive media uproar, the Punjab Government also sprang into action and ordered an inquiry into the incident which is nothing but sheer inhumane, unethical and not violation but rather slaughter of medical SOPs.
We have no doubt in saying that the top hospital management is responsible for desecration of bodies and strict punishment should be given to them after thorough investigation.
Punishment in this case may lead to take things towards improvement in these public sector hospitals.
We understand that it is a usual for unclaimed and unidentified bodies to be used for medical and educational purposes but they are preserved after embalming.
The bodies are not thrown in the open or dumped in the roof as has been done by Nishtar Hospital, Multan but rather kept in some sort of airy room.
Medical experts have also come to the fore to condemn this negligence on the part of hospital staff and we hope the provincial government will show no leniency in this particular episode as respect for the human dead body is also a consensual principle in the Islamic jurisprudence.
Time has come for the federal and provincial governments to give top priority, not in words but in action, to bring improvement in public sector hospitals.
At present the situation is that a patient and his family think a hundred times before visiting these hospitals.
As many cannot afford private treatment, hence, they are left with no option but to go to the government hospitals where the situation is such horrific that one cannot describe in words.
During their training period, the doctors and paramedical staff should also be educated about the sanctity of their profession and how best they should treat the patients.
