PMDC reviews three ‘scandals’ involving medical institutions

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) on Monday reviewed three recent scandals involving medical institutions and vowed to take strict action against any individual or institution found guilty of negligence, misconduct, or violations of student protection policies. The council convened a preliminary hearing to review the tragic incident of suicide by Fehmida Leghari, a 3rd year MBBS student in Muhammad Medical College, Mirpurkhas, reportedly linked to harassment. The 21-year-old student died in a suspected suicide on the night between April 8 and 9, her family has accused a teacher and fellow students of harassing her prior to her death. Following her death the relatives of the student blocked Mirpurkhas Toll Plaza for a couple of days in protest which consequently was reopened after the police arrested the accused. The President of PMDC, Prof Dr Rizwan Taj, along with Registrar, Dr. Rehan Naqvi, expressed sorrow over the incidents and emphasized a zero-tolerance policy towards harassment and any negligence in medical and dental institutions. Three preliminary hearings were convened to ensure a fair and informed assessment of the matters at hand before any formal disciplinary proceedings were initiated. Relevant stakeholders, including representatives of the concerned institution, were called to present their accounts so that the factual matrix could be clearly established. The President of PMDC carefully reviewed the initial findings and sought clarifications from the concerned representatives to verify key facts and to assess the sufficiency of evidence. This process was undertaken to determine whether the cases were ready for referral to the Disciplinary Committee for further adjudication. The first hearing was of the doctors with “Operation Theater video leak scandal”. All five doctors, including Dr Tayaba Fatima, Dr Zainab Tahir, Dr Muhammad Essa, Dr Ayesha Afzal, and Dr Maham Amin attended the hearing. The incident involved the circulation of an inappropriate video on social media by the postgraduate trainees of Lady Wellington Hospital, Lahore, showing a race amongst doctors performing surgeries on two tables and making callous comments. Second hearing was on the sad incident of suicide by a final year MBBS student, Fareeha, at Fatima Jinnah Medical College, Lahore. The principal of the College appeared and explained the facts. The third hearing was on the sad incident of suicide by Fehmida Leghari 3rd year MBBS of student of Muhammad Medical College, Mirpurkhas. The principal of the college appeared and explained the facts. After the preliminary hearings, President PMDC forwarded the cases to the PMDC disciplinary committee for final determination/ decisions. The disciplinary committee is scheduled to be held next week. He added that the council is also aware of the importance of effective grievance redressal mechanisms within institutions to prevent such incidents and ensuring a safe and supportive learning environment remains a top priority of PMDC. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

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