The Sindh Healthcare Commission (SHCC) has launched an investigation into a maternity case at a private hospital in Nazimabad involving questions over the apparent disappearance of a newborn and discrepancies in the patient’s medical records.
The inquiry was initiated after the woman involved filed a complaint. Police subsequently sought the commission’s assistance, with the SP Central formally writing to the SHCC for cooperation in investigating the case.
The commission said it would constitute a technical board of senior medical experts to examine the available evidence. The board will review medical records and take statements from the complainant, hospital employees, witnesses and other relevant parties.
According to the SHCC, the investigation will seek to establish what happened during the woman’s delivery and clarify the circumstances surrounding the reported disappearance of the newborn.
The commission said a final report, including its findings and recommendations, must be completed within 120 days under the Sindh Healthcare Commission Act, although efforts would be made to conclude the inquiry earlier. The identities and information of complainants, witnesses and other parties will remain confidential during the proceedings.
Questions surrounding the case intensified after details of the woman’s treatment emerged. Sources said she was examined at the Nazimabad hospital in March and subsequently diagnosed with pregnancy-induced hypertension.
A cardiotocography (CTG) examination conducted on August 27 reportedly recorded a fetal heart rate ranging between 100 and 150 beats per minute.
Police Surgeon Dr Samia Syed has questioned how an apparent 38-week pregnancy could have gone undetected despite examinations involving three nurses, two doctors, an anaesthetist and a gynaecologist.
She also raised questions about how a fetal heartbeat could reportedly have been recorded twice through CTG if no baby was present in the womb.
Medical experts have similarly questioned why another ultrasound was not conducted, noting that a pregnancy at 38 weeks would ordinarily be readily apparent during an abdominal examination.
The SHCC said its investigation would examine the conflicting medical evidence before reaching any conclusions, stressing that patient safety, accountability and transparency remained its priorities.