Child Dies En Route as Private Hospital Allegedly Refuses Care

News Desk

Islamabad: The death of a 13-year-old boy, allegedly turned away by Maroof International Hospital due to lack of upfront payment, sparked outrage during a recent meeting of the National Assembly’s Sub-Committee on Health.

The boy, suffering from peritonitis and intestinal perforation, died en route to a public hospital after being denied emergency treatment — a tragedy lawmakers described as a “criminal act” and not just mismanagement.

According to reports, the child’s CT scan confirmed a critical medical emergency. However, instead of being stabilized, the hospital staff allegedly refused treatment, instructing the family to seek help elsewhere. The delay proved fatal.

An earlier inquiry had already fined Maroof Hospital Rs 400,000 for maladministration. But Dr Amjad Ali Khan, the committee convener, said the case should be treated as criminal negligence. “What if this had been your child?” he demanded of officials and regulators. “This isn’t mismanagement — it’s a matter of life and death.”

The Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority (IHRA) had been directed to reopen the case. But its representative shocked lawmakers by stating that the case was now “time-barred.” Dr. Amjad accused IHRA of being “non-serious” and using bureaucracy to avoid action. The committee has now formally recommended a fresh inquiry.

During the session, MNA Dr Zahra Wadood Fatemi added a chilling personal account. Her husband, an asthma patient, narrowly escaped a medical mishap at Maroof after a doctor attempted to administer an IV injection without prior testing.

“He was shivering and could barely see. I intervened just in time,” she said, highlighting broader concerns about negligence at the hospital.

Instead of addressing these incidents directly, Maroof CEO Haroon Saeed offered a general defense, calling the hospital a “side business” and a “headache” for his family — remarks that struck lawmakers as tone-deaf.

He claimed Maroof was unfairly portrayed and urged the committee to consider systemic healthcare issues rather than blame individual hospitals.

Saeed proposed creating a pricing committee involving private hospitals to improve transparency. He also shared an anecdote about seeking care at another facility for his own relative, seemingly to deflect criticism.

But lawmakers were unmoved. “Systemic failure doesn’t excuse abandoning a child in crisis,” said one committee member.

The committee is now pushing for a full-scale re-investigation, tougher regulatory oversight, and harsher penalties for hospitals that prioritize payment over patient lives. In the words of Dr. Amjad: “Accountability must come — no hospital should be above the law when a life is lost so needlessly.”