Serious lapses in patient care have been uncovered at Lahore’s Children’s Hospital after the Punjab Chief Minister’s Special Monitoring Unit found expired medicines allegedly being administered to children during an official inspection.
According to the monitoring unit’s report, expired medicines and injections were discovered in outdoor patient departments (OPDs) as well as in the bone marrow transplant unit, raising grave concerns about patient safety. Authorities described the situation as a direct threat to children’s lives, terming the negligence “extreme” and a clear violation of medical protocols.
The report stated that expired medicines were neither properly destroyed nor safely stored, despite strict regulations governing pharmaceutical handling in public hospitals. A formal charge sheet has been prepared and submitted to the relevant authorities, with directives for strict disciplinary action against those responsible.
Beyond the issue of expired medicines, the inspection revealed multiple shortcomings in overall hospital management and patient care. Deficiencies were identified in treatment quality, medicine availability, cleanliness, staff attendance, and the hospital’s security arrangements.
Patients and their families were reportedly compelled to purchase medicines from private medical stores due to shortages, while diagnostic tests were frequently outsourced to private laboratories instead of being conducted within hospital facilities.
The report also highlighted unusual and prolonged delays in surgical procedures for children, allegedly caused by poor scheduling and lack of proper patient examinations by doctors.
Inspectors further noted that several doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff members were absent from duty during working hours. Hospital beds and washrooms were found to be unhygienic, compounding concerns over infection risks.
Alarmingly, fire extinguishers installed in the hospital premises were also found to be expired, raising questions about emergency preparedness and safety standards.
In response to the findings, the Special Monitoring Unit has ordered a comprehensive audit of all hospital wards and pharmacies. The Punjab government has directed that strict action be taken against individuals found responsible, reiterating its commitment to ensuring patient safety, accountability, and improved healthcare standards in public hospitals.
