Inquiry report says CHK medical officer's 'misjudgement' led to Dr Furqan's death.

KARACHI -- The chief minister's inquiry committee on Wednesday found serious lack of coordination and 'misjudgement' on part of a medical officer at the Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK) as key factors behind the death of Dr Furqanul Haq, who became the third member of the medical fraternity in Karachi to have died of the coronavirus.

The chief minister on Monday had set up the committee after the opposition parties and mainstream and social media criticised the ill-equipped health system of the province.

The report ruled out that Dr Furqan died due to non-availability of a ventilator or bed at any health facility treating Covid-19 patients.

The committee which recorded over a dozen statements of different people, including the doctor niece of deceased Dr Furqan, also found the late doctor quite unwilling to get admitted to any of the hospitals and finally agreed to it on the insistence of his family members and friends.

Non-availability of a ventilator or bed at any health facility treating Covid-19 patients ruled out

The committee's report said that the on-duty doctor at the CHK who examined the patient showed negligence when he failed to admit him to the hospital despite the availability of at least nine ICU beds.

Recounting the events that led to Dr Haq's death, the report says he was diagnosed with the virus on May 1, after which the Sindh health department through a rapid response team was in contact with the patient until May 2.

On May 3, the doctor's condition worsened and he was advised to go to the Indus Hospital by his niece, Dr Nida. However, foregoing this advice, Dr Haq planned a visit to the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) instead, on the advice of his colleague Dr Amir.

However, when an Aman ambulance arrived, it...