Lahore heart surgeon charges 1M for 'free operation'

LAHORE: It has been revealed that a government hospital doctor in Lahore allegedly received over Rs 1 million for a heart operation that was supposed to be free, ARY News reported.

The doctor, identified as heart surgeon Dr. Rafay Gillani, reportedly received the staggering amount directly from the patient’s family into his personal bank account.

Following the revelation, the Punjab Health Department initiated disciplinary action against Dr. Gillani under the Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability (PEDA) Act.

Additionally, a ward boy at the hospital has been accused of taking Rs 10,000 from the same family just to enlist the patient’s name on the surgery schedule.

The ward boy also reportedly threatened the patient’s family.

The Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department has launched a formal departmental inquiry into the matter, seeking clarification from Dr. Gillani and other individuals involved.

The accused have been directed to submit their responses within seven days, while the Inquiry Officer has been given 60 days to complete the probe.

Earlier, A doctor in Faisalabad has allegedly left surgical forceps inside a patient’s chest during an open-heart operation at a cardiology institute.

According to reports, 22-year-old Saqlain, a resident of Toba Tek Singh, was undergoing treatment for a hole in the heart. Cardiologist Dr Zaigham Rasool reportedly carried out the open-heart surgery on 4 April.

However, during the procedure, the surgical instrument was allegedly left inside the patient’s chest due to negligence.

The issue came to light after the patient complained of severe chest pain. An X-ray later revealed the presence of the forceps inside his chest.

Following the discovery, doctors reportedly performed a second operation on 23 April to remove the instrument.