Karachi (Digital Post) Alleged Insulting Behavior Toward Caregiver of Senior Cardiologist at NICVD, Serious Concern

Karachi (Digital Post) Serious concern has been expressed over the alleged unprofessional and insulting behavior of staff toward the caregiver of a senior medical specialist at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) Karachi. The incident reportedly occurred during an emergency cardiac situation.

According to sources, senior cardiologist and former Medical Superintendent of Civil Hospital Karachi, Dr. Girish, suffered an Inferior Wall Myocardial Infarction (MI), following which he was brought to NICVD at approximately 8:45 a.m., where primary intervention was reportedly required immediately.

According to the complainant, he was in Bahria Town at the time and, upon receiving the information, immediately reached NICVD to visit his friend and find out about the situation. However, despite the emergency, he reportedly remained waiting outside the cath lab for several hours.

The complainant says that when he introduced himself to Dr. Atif Sheikh and sought information and an explanation regarding the situation and delay, he was allegedly given an extremely inappropriate and insulting response.

According to him, he remained outside the cath lab until approximately 12:20 p.m., and he had not been informed about the situation.

He further stated that he contacted Dr. Hakeem Samad Sahib, who was in Munich, and who immediately responded and provided guidance regarding the situation. On his instructions and reference, cooperation and information were again sought from the relevant staff; however, it was allegedly replied that they should wait and that the matter would be explained “after some time.”

According to the complainant, he subsequently attempted to contact several relevant authorities, including Dr. Tahir Sagheer, but received no response from anyone.

The incident has raised important questions regarding patient care, the provision of information, professional conduct of staff, and institutional accountability at one of the country’s most important cardiovascular institutions.

If the caregiver of a senior cardiologist and former Medical Superintendent can allegedly face such treatment, it is natural for questions to arise about the treatment that ordinary and poor patients and their families may receive.

The government is spending substantial public funds on healthcare infrastructure, recruitment of doctors, procurement of medicines, and medical equipment. However, the fundamental question is what kind of treatment patients and their caregivers are receiving inside these institutions.

Buildings, doctors, and medicines alone do not guarantee an effective healthcare system. The true measure of the performance of any medical institution is quality treatment, timely information, respect for the patient’s dignity, courteous behavior, humanity, and compassion.

The Sindh Health Minister and relevant authorities have been urged to take strict notice of the incident, order an impartial investigation, and ensure that every patient and caregiver, regardless of their social or professional background, is treated with dignity, respect, and compassion.

If the allegations are proven during the investigation, such incidents are not only a matter of concern for the Health Department but also a source of embarrassment for the provincial government of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), particularly at a time when billions of rupees in public funds are being allocated to the healthcare sector.

The public has the right to receive quality treatment, transparency, accountability, and dignified and respectful medical facilities at healthcare institutions operated with public funds.

If you wish, I can also redraft this in a more hard-hitting newspaper/investigative reporting style.