Daily Times

Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid said on Wednesday that the so called rape incidents during operations at Services Hospital last week have been proved baseless in a forensic report.

She was briefing media on facts about the incident during a packed press conference at Services Institute of Medical Sciences (SIMS).

“Baseless allegation levelled by a female patient damaged the goodwill and repute of the medical profession,” she regretted.

“Departmental action would be taken against Station House Officer of Shadman Police Station for non-compliance of standard operating procedures. He should know that no case could be registered against any doctor without permission of Punjab Healthcare Commission,” said the minister.

“God forbidden, if such heinous incident could have occurred in the premises of any hospital, then I would be the first person to take stern action against the accused,” she said.

While sharing the forensic report with media persons, she expressed her pleasure on vindication of medical staff of Services Hospital, however she also said that “moral lesson of this incident was that filing a First Information Report on any sensitive issue was not enough for media reporting but journalists should also look for other evidences and version from concerned quarters too.

News regarding so called rape was also highlighted in the international media defaming Pakistan worldwide. It became a source of embarrassment for Pakistani medical community as well.

To avoid any misconception in future, the Health Department is going to appoint focal persons in all major hospitals. Each hospital has mechanism of a complaints cell besides 24/7 helpline of the Health Department was also there to look into such complaints but the said woman did not contact any quarter instead preferred to contact the police”.

Published in Daily Times, December 6^th 2018.