OKARA: How the DHQ City Hospital pathology laboratory is working surfaced when the district police officer sent eight constables for their mandatory medical examination and the lab declaring them unfit in all categories.

Shocked, DPO Furqan Bilal requested Medical Superintendent Dr Shahid Saleem to form a medical board to learn whether the cops were fit for police service.

Pathologist Dr Rizwan issued a notice to lab staffers who blamed lab assistant (LA) Asad Ali for misuse of material and chemicals as he did in the constables case by declaring their blood samples unfit without any clinical examination.

The MS formed a three-member committee headed by senior physician Dr Muhammad Shahid Dogar, Dr Muhammad Awais and HR officer Asif Ali to probe the lab affairs.

DC Irfan Ali Kathia also took notice of the media reports and constituted a body comprising additional deputy commissioner (Finance and Planning), assistant commissioner (HR and Coordination) and the district health officer with a direction to get all relevant record from the hospital in 24 hours.

Okara Chief Executive Officer (Health) Dr Mahar Akhtar Baloch has, meanwhile, suspended lab assistant Asad Ali while pathologist Dr Rizwan has surrendered his services to the MS office.

Published in Dawn, October 13th, 2022