The Jammu and Kashmir government has formed a committee of doctors to probe surgical negligence in a private health centre in the Sopore area of Baramulla district, where a doctor allegedly removed the uterus of a patient who was scheduled for ENT surgery.
The Director of Health Services Kashmir, Dr Jahangir Bakshi, has accorded sanction to the inquiry team, which will hold an “inquiry in the alleged case of surgical negligence” in Hakeem Sonaullah Hospital Sopore in Baramulla district.
“Sanction is, hereby, accorded to the constitution of an Inquiry Committee, which will be headed by Dr. Anjum Afshan, Epidemiologist Kashmir, and comprises five other members to enquire into the case of surgical negligence” in Hakeem Sonaullah Hospital, Sopore, where doctors allegedly removed the uterus of a woman “instead of performing the scheduled ENT surgery,” Dr Baskhi said in an order issued on February 19.
On February 4, the private health care centre in Sopore was rocked by public backlash after a doctor allegedly removed the uterus of a 50-year-old woman, who was scheduled, as per officials, for ENT surgery in the same health centre.
Following the backlash, the government suspended two doctors—Dr. Anjum Nazir, Consultant Gynaecologist, SDH Sopore, and Dr Tariq Ahmad Dar, Medical Officer (Diploma in Anaesthesia), DH Bandipora—who were allegedly involved in the botched surgery.Besides sealing the operation theatre of the health centre on February 6, the two doctors were barred from engaging in any form of private practice across Jammu & Kashmir until further orders.
“The Inquiry Committee thus constituted shall submit its report with specific recommendations within 05 days positively from the issuance of this order in confidential cover, enabling to take further appropriate action against the delinquent doctors/paramedics in case found involved as per the law,” Dr Bakshi said in the order.