Medical Negligence Lawyer in Karachi

Medical negligence complaints in Karachi are investigated by the Sindh Healthcare Commission under section 4(6) of the Sindh Healthcare Commission Act, 2013; compensation is pursued separately through a civil suit for damages.

Who it is for

Patients and families harmed by wrong or careless treatment — and doctors and hospitals defending a complaint.

The routes

• Sindh Healthcare Commission (SHCC) — a complaint under Section 4(6). "Medical negligence" is defined in Section 2(xxii) of the Act.
• Civil suit for damages — compensation is claimed in court; whether the SHCC itself can award compensation has been questioned.
• Criminal complaint — where an offence is made out.

The Sindh High Court has treated SHCC findings as important, so the SHCC complaint usually comes first. The SHCC does not take up a matter already pending in court, but a court can itself refer a matter to it.

How we proceed

1. Records — copies of the medical record, obtained at once.
2. SHCC complaint — the inquiry report usually takes around 120 days.
3. Damages or criminal action — on the basis of the SHCC finding.

The law

• Sindh Healthcare Commission Act, 2013 — Section 2(xxii) and Section 4(6); its Regulations, 2017
• Pakistan Penal Code — Sections 318, 319 and 322, and the Section 337 series on hurt

Documents

• Admission and discharge papers
• Prescriptions and lab reports
• Bills
• Death certificate or post-mortem report, where applicable
• CNIC and a timeline of events