A family has moved Islamabad District and Sessions Court, seeking the immediate custody of a newborn child, alleging that the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) has refused to hand the infant over to the mother.
According to ARY News, the petition was filed by the baby’s maternal grandmother, Nasreen Bibi, and came up for hearing before Additional Sessions Judge Muhammad Ali Warraich.
During the hearing, the court directed the PIMS administration to submit a report on the matter by 2:00pm on the same day. The judge also instructed the police to visit the hospital and submit a separate report.
According to the petition, the woman gave birth at PIMS, but despite the completion of all required formalities, the newborn has not been handed over to the mother.
The petitioner alleged that a head nurse in the hospital’s gynaecology department demanded Rs500,000 from the family in exchange for handing over the child.
The petition further alleged that the family was threatened that the newborn would not be returned to the mother if the money was not paid and alleged that the child could be handed over to unknown persons if the demand remained unmet.
The petitioner requested the court to order the immediate transfer of the newborn’s custody to the mother.
The allegations made in the petition have not been independently verified, and PIMS had not publicly responded to the claims at the time the court sought its report.
The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) is currently the subject of concern after footage and photographs were posted on social media of a patient being treated in an emergency ward that looked like it was in an unclean condition.
The videos, which were quickly spread on social media, were initially posted by social media users and then picked up by prominent individuals who said the hospital’s emergency room was not clean even though it is one of the country’s largest public health care facilities.
The videos revealed that medical waste bins were placed near patients and treatment, raising concerns about infection control measures.
A number of social media users asked how patients would get their medical treatment done in such circumstances and asked authorities to be aware of it.
Also read: PIMS imposes strict ban on photos, videos
