In February 2009, Dr. Turab Pishori was invited to discuss medical errors and negligence, proposing measures to address this growing concern among healthcare professionals.
An agenda item carried over from 2008 involved a combined PMA-KBG session on “display of violence on media.” A seminar was organized on March 7, 2009, at PMA House, featuring presentations by press and media individuals, including Ms. Zubaida Mustafa, Mr. Ghazi Salahuddin, and Mr. Ehfazur Rehman, as well as contributions from psychiatrist Dr. Ehsan Ullah and lawyer Mr. Daniyal Muzzaffer. Although DG PEMRA was invited but couldn’t attend, a subsequent meeting with DG PEMRA and Mr. Tahir Khan took place, during which KBG and PMA submitted written suggestions to address the issue.
In June 2009, Dr. Arshi Farooqui educated the group about the use of residual biological tissue in clinical practice and research, introducing the concept of therapeutic misconception and power dynamics in healthcare provision.
Another agenda item from 2008 focused on PPI guidelines. The working group successfully developed guidelines after a literature review, input from individuals in various local institutions, presentation to the larger KBG group, and the official launch on November 26, 2009, at Patel Hospital as part of its ten-year celebrations. The plan includes applying these guidelines at the institutional level, presenting them at medical conferences, and recommending them to bodies such as PMDC, the National Bioethics Committee, and the Health Ministry.
In 2009, KBG also achieved a signature campaign on the case of the flogging of a teenage girl in Swat. KBG issued a press release and collected about 900 signatures from individuals in various walks of life condemning the incident. This collection was forwarded to the Chief Justice of Pakistan.