The Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Lahore’s inquiry committee has recommended freezing increments and pensions for hospital staff responsible for implanting expired stents in heart patients.

The committee, which closed the case of the expired stent on Saturday, also recommended dismissing the employee with the lowest grade.

The probe was initiated after the revelation of placement of expired stents in the patients’ bodies. The committee had found that the hospital staff implanted more than 39 expired stents in the heart patients at the health facility.

The PIC is a specialised tertiary care hospital that provides treatment to cardiac patients.

While the doctors, pharmacists and nurses are found responsible for the mistreatment, the panel has recommended the dismissal of storekeeper Aijaz Badar in the case.

The committee recommended former executive director of the PIC Saqib Shafi’s 15% pension of two years to be confiscated. It also suggested freezing the increment of Master of Surgery Doctor Tehseen and Cath Lab Incharge Doctor Imran Abid for three years.

The committee also proposed Pharmacist Mohammad Yousuf’s forfeiture of service for five years and stopping the increment for two years of Pharmacist Samrana Ejaz along with freezing increment for one year of 14 nurses.