Caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi made a visit to the Government Teaching Hospital Shahdara. However, what he witnessed was disheartening—bare shelves in the pharmacy, the absence of necessary medical supplies such as drip sets, disprin, and injections, and the hospital's AC was closed off to patients. Surprisingly, the doctors' rooms' ACs were functional, but the duty doctors were nowhere to be found. In their absence, the patient himself was administering nebulization to the patient instead of the nurses. Even in an emergency, medicines had to be procured externally, and to make matters worse, the air conditioning system was non-functional.
The patients and their attendants presented a multitude of complaints before the CM and showed the receipts of medicines bought from outside. Upon witnessing this appalling situation, Mohsin Naqvi expressed his anger and strongly reprimanded the Deputy Medical Superintendent on duty. The DMS failed to answer any of the chief minister's inquiries, and even the pharmacy lacked essential medicines.
During his inspection, the chief minister thoroughly inspected various sections including the emergency, child ward, pharmacy, surgical ward, and blood bank. He observed that the air conditioning units were switched off, subjecting the patients to uncomfortable heat.
Expressing his deep dismay over the situation, Mohsin Naqvi remarked that keeping the air conditioning off during extreme heat was ludicrous. ''It was very disheartening to see the conditions at Shahdara Hospital;'' he commented and pledged immediate action to improve the facilities and vowed to hold those accountable for the dire circumstances.
He directed Minister Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education Dr Javed Akram to promptly visit the hospital. Additionally, VC Fatima Jinnah Medical University Dr Khalid Masood Gondal was asked to arrive at the hospital to monitor the situation and work towards its improvement. Mohsin Naqvi further directed Dr Khalid Masood Gondal to remain at the hospital until further notice.
During the inspection, CM interacted with patients and their attendants, seeking their feedback on the treatment facilities. Both patients and their attendants expressed their dismay regarding the state of affairs. Commissioner Lahore Muhammad Ali Randhawa and DC Rafia Haider were also present.
