Shifa International Hospital (SIH) is a private hospital located in Islamabad, Pakistan. It is listed as SHFA on the Pakistan Stock Exchange.
It is a multi-specialty tertiary care hospital with over 550 beds. The hospital performs operation of liver, kidney, and bone marrow transplant. It offers 640 slice CT scan. SIH runs two medical centers in Islamabad and is constructing a full-fledge hospital in Faisalabad.
History
Zaheer Ahmad, a Pakistani American medical doctor, is often credited as the founder of Shifa International Hospital. He also served as a chief executive at the hospital.
The Hospital was incorporated on September 20, 1987 as a private limited company. It was converted to a public limited company on October 12, 1989. The construction activity began in 1988. Shifa was officially opened in 1993, with 8 OPD clinics and 36 beds.
As of 2018, about 85% of the liver transplant operations in Pakistan were performed at SIH, of which 700 organ transplants were done successfully. In 2018, the hospital suspended the transplant program due to fraud alleged by a patient's family.
Shifa National Hospital Faisalabad, a subsidiary of Shifa International Hospital Limited, began its construction in 2022.
Misidentification by Ex-Israeli Defence Minister
In a video posted on social media on 20 May 2021, former Israeli defence minister Naftali Bennett shared a photo of the Shifa International Hospital, falsely claiming it to be the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza. The video gained significant viewership, and Bennett's actions were in response to celebrities who had criticized Israel for civilian casualties in Palestine. However, social media users in Pakistan promptly identified and corrected this misinformation.
Controversies
In a case involving alleged negligence, President Dr. Arif Alvi directed the Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority (IHRA) to ensure that Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad reimburses Rs. 2.9 million to the family of a patient who unfortunately passed away during the course of treatment. Additionally, the President upheld the Rs. 900,000 fine imposed on the hospital. The investigation, prompted by a complaint from the patient's daughter, revealed the hospital's negligence, professional misconduct, and malpractice, leading to these actions being taken.
In a significant case, an Islamabad court issued arrest warrants for a former consultant at Shifa International Hospital, Dr. Aasim Rahman. The patient, Hajira Bibi, claimed the hospital failed to diagnose her real disease and accused them of maltreatment and misdiagnosis. After being diagnosed with leprosy at a different hospital, she sought a refund and compensation totaling Rs15.5 million from Shifa under Islamabad consumer law.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) transferred a case to the Capital Development Authority (CDA) regarding Shifa International Hospital's alleged encroachment. The hospital was accused of violating building regulations in 2020 by encroaching on land near a nullah.