Supreme Court Orders Regular Operation Theatre Inspections and Complaint Desks in Every Hospital
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has moved to tighten hospital oversight across Pakistan. In a medical negligence case, the court ordered regular inspections and surprise visits to operation theatres in public and private hospitals, complaint desks in every hospital, and a compliance report within 90 days — setting aside a Balochistan High Court judgment in the process.
Bibi Hanifa’s case, dating back to 2007
A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, with Justice Irfan Saadat Khan and Justice Shakeel Ahmad, allowed Bibi Hanifa’s 2018 civil petition and a connected appeal, and awarded her costs. According to the 23-page judgment, she was admitted to the District Headquarters Hospital in Pishin on November 20, 2007, for the delivery of her eighth child. After a caesarean section she developed abdominal pain and fever. As her condition worsened she was shifted to another hospital, where a second operation found medical sponges inside her abdomen — sponges she said had been left there during the first surgery. Her newborn died the day after birth.
What the court has directed
Operation theatres are to be inspected regularly, with action taken against violations. Every hospital must have an accessible, timely system for handling negligence complaints, including a dedicated redressal desk. Doctors and nursing staff are to receive regular training in patient safety and infection prevention, and newly qualified doctors must work under the supervision of qualified surgeons. Copies of the judgment are to go to the health department, the Prime Minister’s Office and the healthcare commission.
Not the last word
The court was clear that its directions, though comprehensive, are not exhaustive. The health secretary may issue further instructions if needed. What happens next will be visible in the compliance report due through the Registrar in 90 days — the test of whether orders written in Islamabad change anything inside a crowded operation theatre in Pishin, Quetta or anywhere else.
