Islamabad: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council has initiated disciplinary proceedings in two medical student suicide cases and a controversial operating theatre video incident, as concerns grow over harassment, academic pressure and professional misconduct in medical institutions.
Officials said the council on Monday held three separate preliminary hearings into the incidents, summoning representatives of the concerned colleges and hospitals to present their accounts and assist in establishing the facts before formal action.
The most widely discussed case relates to an alleged operating theatre video scandal at Lady Willingdon Hospital Lahore, where postgraduate trainees are accused of filming and circulating footage from inside the OT.
The video, which reportedly surfaced on social media, is said to show simultaneous procedures being conducted on two operating tables, accompanied by inappropriate remarks, raising serious ethical concerns about patient dignity and professional conduct.
Five doctors, including Dr Tayaba Fatima, Dr Zainab Tahir, Dr Muhammad Essa, Dr Ayesha Afzal and Dr Maham Amin, appeared before the council in connection with the case. Officials said the council examined initial evidence and sought explanations regarding the circumstances in which the video was recorded and shared.
The other two hearings focused on the suicides of medical students that have triggered wider debate about mental health and institutional responsibility. One case involved a final year MBBS student, Ms Fareeha, at Fatima Jinnah Medical College Lahore, while the second related to Ms Fehmida Leghari, a third year MBBS student at Muhammad Medical College Mirpurkhas.
Principals of both institutions appeared before the council and briefed members on the incidents, including the sequence of events, institutional responses and any known factors that may have contributed to the tragedies.
Officials said the council sought to determine whether there was any evidence of harassment, excessive academic pressure, lack of grievance redressal or gaps in student support systems that could have played a role in the deaths.
After reviewing the preliminary findings, PMDC President Prof Dr Rizwan Taj ordered that all three cases be referred to the council’s Disciplinary Committee for detailed adjudication. The committee is expected to meet next week to examine evidence, hear concerned parties and fix responsibility where applicable.
Prof Taj reiterated that the regulator has zero tolerance for harassment, negligence or professional misconduct, and said strict action would be taken against any individual or institution found responsible.
He also stressed the need for medical colleges to establish effective grievance redressal mechanisms and provide adequate mental health support to students, warning that failure to do so would not be overlooked.
The hearings come amid increasing scrutiny of medical education in Pakistan, where repeated incidents of student distress, alleged harassment and lack of institutional accountability have raised alarm among experts and policymakers.
Public health and education experts say the combination of intense academic pressure, hierarchical training environments and limited access to counselling services is contributing to growing mental health challenges among medical students.
They have called for mandatory counselling services, transparent complaint mechanisms and stronger oversight to ensure safe learning environments in teaching hospitals and colleges.
PMDC officials said the outcome of the disciplinary proceedings would be closely watched, as it is likely to set a precedent for enforcing ethical standards and strengthening student protection across medical institutions in the country.
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