KARACHI: A delegation of the Health Reporters Association (HRA) met Joint Executive Director of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), Dr. Suleman, to express concern over the alleged inappropriate treatment and lack of timely medical care provided to the wife of Capital TV Health Reporter Pawan Kumar following a road accident.
The delegation was led by HRA President Akhtar Shaheen Rind and included General Secretary Imran Pirzada, Information Secretary Kanwal Jatoi, Deputy Information Secretary Naila Nizam, Executive Committee members Syed Rizwan Jalali, Maria Ismail Memon, and Pawan Kumar. Emergency Department CMO Dr. Irfan and JPMC spokesperson Dr. Waqas were also present during the meeting.
The delegation expressed concern over the alleged delay in providing medical facilities to the injured patient and demanded a formal inquiry into the matter. Speaking on the occasion, Akhtar Shaheen Rind and Imran Pirzada said that ensuring prompt and quality healthcare for patients is the fundamental responsibility of hospital management. They termed the failure to provide timely and accurate information to the patient's family as regrettable and unacceptable.
They further stated that inappropriate behavior towards journalists and their families cannot be tolerated. According to the delegation, the night-shift staff in the Emergency Department allegedly displayed negligence, while attempts to seek assistance through official channels failed to yield a timely response. They also claimed that the Neuro Trauma Centre initially refused admission due to the non-availability of beds.
The situation improved after Dr. Irfan Siddiqui intervened, following which the patient received better medical attention. Pawan Kumar’s wife remains under treatment in the Emergency ICU.
The HRA delegation urged JPMC management to introduce a clear monitoring and accountability mechanism to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Responding to the concerns, Joint Executive Director Dr. Suleman ordered an immediate inquiry into the incident and assured the delegation that strict action would be taken against anyone found responsible for negligence.
Later, the delegation, accompanied by Dr. Irfan Siddiqui, visited the patient in the Emergency ICU and assured Pawan Kumar of their full support.
