In a country where medical healthcare is worshipped as a privilege rather than as a right, the notion of medical negligence remains largely underdeveloped in public consciousness. Despite hospital expansion and an immense increase in the number of medical graduates each year, accountability in healthcare remains elusive. It has become more like a belief for most patients that suffering due to a doctor’s mistake is “their fate” rather than “the doctor’s negligence”.
According to the 2021 Global Health Security (GHS) Index, Pakistan ranks 130th out of 195 countries, with an overall score of 30.4 out of 100. This can be due to multiple reasons, ranging from the lack of proper infrastructure and resources, understaffing and overworked professionals, lack of rights awareness and education, poor enforcement, and quackery. All of these might contribute to medical negligence in Pakistan, but the doctor’s lack of professionalism remains an intact stigma in our system.
Frequent incidents have been reported in Pakistan where patients have lost their lives due to delayed treatment, incorrect diagnosis, lack of proper medical supervision, or lack of trained and skilled doctors. In many cases, hospitals fail to maintain basic standards, yet legal action is rarely pursued due to a lack of awareness and trust in the system.
It is seen across Pakistan that a major portion of chronic patients are usually handled by postgraduate trainees (PGs) and junior doctors who are still in the process of gaining practical experience. The sacrifice of these individuals plays a vital role in the functioning of almost every government hospital; however, concerns arise when they are required to make critical medical decisions in the absence of adequate supervision.
Consultants who possess the necessary expertise and authority are frequently absent at crucial stages where diagnosis and the required treatment could improve the situation. Making less experienced doctors manage complex cases independently is nothing but a negligent attitude towards human rights. This gap in supervision cannot be ignored, as the likelihood of inefficiencies, delayed interventions, and wrong diagnoses ultimately places patient health and resource safety at risk. This not only reflects a lack of professionalism but also highlights systemic issues rooted in hospital management.
One cannot solely blame officials for this; due to low literacy rates, many patients lack awareness of their legal rights and rarely question medical authority, reinforcing the cultural belief that “the doctor is always right” or, at times, referring to them as their “Messiah”. This mindset discourages accountability, as even serious errors are often accepted without challenge.
A government monitoring report on the Punjab Institute of Cardiology highlighted “systemic administrative collapse and medical negligence” in patient care, demonstrating the issue as more institutional rather than isolated
At the same time, legal enforcement remains weak; although cases occasionally reach courts, many fail to progress effectively, creating little deterrence for negligent practices. For example, investigations into negligence, such as the 2012 infant death case at Mayo Hospital, have historically faced delays and controversy, highlighting gaps in accountability mechanisms. In cases where a C-section operation is not required and yet conducted without any real need, there is a problem of medical negligence, whereas in cases where C-section operations are delayed and cause harm to patients, there is an emergency issue involved.
For example, Jinnah Hospital in Lahore has had several cases of delayed surgery and improper monitoring, which led to complications for both mother and baby. The second concern is obtaining proper consent from the patient, which can be said to be lacking in many cases in Pakistan. Recently, in the last week, the Punjab government suspended the medical superintendent and head of the gynaecology department at Lady Willingdon Hospital for “serious negligence in duties” after a video of a surgical procedure went viral on social media.
More recently, in 2025, multiple patients at Mayo Hospital suffered severe reactions due to incorrectly prepared injections, while repeated government inspections have revealed shortages of medicines and poor patient care. In the same year, a government monitoring report on the Punjab Institute of Cardiology highlighted “systemic administrative collapse and medical negligence” in patient care, demonstrating the issue as more institutional rather than isolated.
The issue of medical malpractice is indicative of the difference between the systems of oversight in the United States and the United Kingdom and their near non-existence in Pakistan. Developed countries employ elaborate and evidence-based frameworks to tackle medical malpractice. The United States and the United Kingdom report thousands of claims per year, which form the basis for a high level of accountability. Although this has resulted in “defensive medicine”—the over-testing of patients to avoid litigation—“never events” are reported and become a stimulus for improvement.
Closing this gap involves shifting from reactive lawsuits to preventive regulatory policies. The proposal is that there should be an “open register” where qualifications can be verified and past lawsuits tracked. To enhance patient safety in Pakistan, a shift from lengthy tort processes to Western-style reporting needs to occur.
Pakistan still struggles to recognise negligence as a violation of patient rights. Addressing this issue requires more than just increasing the number of doctors; it demands public education, stronger regulatory mechanisms, and a shift in mindset where patients feel empowered to question and seek justice. Only then can trust in the healthcare system be meaningfully restored.