Today I met with a federal Pakistani medical investigative expert (who also happens to be a laparoscopic surgeon) to educate myself after being contacted by so many victims of over-charging by Ali Medical Centre Islamabad, CEO Dr. Bilal Arshed Butt & Dr. Tahir Hussain.

I learned about the wrongful use of metal staples on me. In fact, the medical investigator is confident that Dr. Tahir didn’t close me up. I joked and said, “OMG maybe it was train the intern day” and “Most likely 😅” was his reply.

He also explained Ali’s tactic of purposely not communicating a patient’s financial choices like 2 expensive & unnecessary items he identified on my bill. I had no idea that Ali Medical charged me 4,400% more for “product A” without telling me I had a choice of a less expensive “product B” — like a Rs 35,000 ($125) vicryl endoloop that does the same job as a Rs 1,000 ($3.50) internal suture … it was shocking.

So I’m stopping this waste of my time and have just PARTNERED WITH A LEGAL TEAM who cares about helping people (the same kind team who helped me setup my company in Islamabad in 2024, who called me at the hospital when they saw my IG Story saying I was about to have surgery, and who was angry reading my escalating Ali Medical posts just like me). They will be filing a complaint with the Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority (IHRA).

IMPORTANT UPDATE 22 AUGUST 🙏 CLICK TO OPEN PDF UPDATE  >> In this PDF I’m sharing 1) photos & names of the men refusing to acknowledge I was butchered unnecessarily with metal staples and overcharged by the hospital (Dr Tahir Hussain, CEO Bilal Butt & Executive Altaf Mushtaq), 2) emails and WhatsApps regarding Ali Medical lies, 3) bits of my bill that proves I was overcharged, and THE DISGUSTING FABRICATIONS THEY WROTE OM MY DISCHARGE (stating I had been briefed on how to care for myself when I left but in reality Dr Tahir Hussain forbade all nurses & staff from speaking to me).

If you remember in the beginning, I only thought I needed to be refunded Rs 8,000 ($28) — It’s all I wanted. I wanted them to do the right thing, which to me was refund me the small things on my bill I know I didn’t use and to admit Dr. Tahir chose to butcher me to save time and charge me more.

BUT NOW I’M SO ANGRY 🤬

Certainly it must already be illegal to remove a patient’s choice to make their own decisions. To be informed. To choose what’s right for their body and their wallets. I would NEVER have agreed to throw away money nor to have them puncture me with 11 metal staples over a few delicate sutures. Sorry … I really am so upset now that I know the extent of the scam they pulled on me (at least that’s what it feels like to me, a scam).

THEY DO THIS TO PATIENTS EVERY DAY AS STANDARD PRACTICE. So it’s now my goal for an endgame where news teams all across Pakistan will want to shine a light on Ali Medical and other private hospitals when IHRA (hopefully) forces them to start FULLY DISCLOSING all financial and body-damaging options to every patient — for every treatment — ever day, for the rest of the years their doors are open.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I’d like social media to be my happy place again. To that end, I won’t post about Ali Medical again until we have real news (hopefully good news!).

Please say a prayer, think happy thoughts, and fingers crossed we can win against a money-grabbing private hospital that puts profits above patients!!!!!

PLEASE NOTE: My passport is from the U.S. but I haven’t lived or worked there since moving back in the 90s for a few years. I’m not one of the famously GROSS litigious Americans who sues over the tiniest thing. I gave Ali Medial a month to refund me and at least say sorry for the staples. This is on them now. And what was just 8,000 … well, that pocket change amount is now long out the door 😉 

Original article about my surgery and interesting drama with Dr. Tahir: READ IT HERE