Lahore (nytoday) — Serious concerns have been raised over patient safety after the use of expired medicines was uncovered at the Children’s Hospital in Lahore. According to a report by the Chief Minister Punjab’s Special Monitoring Unit, expired medicines and injections were found in hospital OPDs and wards, posing a direct threat to the lives of children.
Private television channels, citing the official report, revealed that expired medicines were neither destroyed nor stored in a safe and secure manner. Following these findings, the Special Monitoring Unit ordered an immediate audit of hospital wards and pharmacies to assess the extent of negligence.
The report highlighted multiple shortcomings in hospital operations, including poor treatment standards, inadequate availability of medicines, lack of cleanliness, staff absenteeism, and weaknesses in the security system.
It further revealed that diagnostic services at the Children’s Hospital have been severely affected due to a malfunctioning MRI machine, making essential tests unavailable. Unusual delays were also reported in surgical procedures, with children remaining admitted in wards for weeks without being examined or scheduled for operations by doctors.
Inspectors noted that some hospital staff behaved inappropriately with both the monitoring team and patients. Several doctors, nurses, and other employees were found absent from duty during inspections. As a result, patients were forced to purchase medicines from private medical stores, while laboratory tests were being conducted at private labs instead of within the hospital.
The report also pointed to alarming hygiene and safety issues, including dirty beds, open garbage bins, used syringes lying around, unhygienic washrooms, and outdated fire extinguishers, further raising concerns about the overall management and safety standards at the hospital.