Dr. Muhammad Umar Azeem, MD

I am deeply disappointed and troubled by the care my mother received from Dr Muhammad Umar Azeem during her previous admission to Medical City Denton. My mother is medically fragile, neurologically impaired, largely bedridden and at significant risk of respiratory and aspiration complications. She is a vulnerable woman whose condition requires patience, vigilance and, above all, an abundance of caution. Yet she was discharged whilst I could still plainly hear wet, raspy respiratory sounds. I raised my concerns that her pneumonia and respiratory condition had not adequately resolved. Unfortunately, she subsequently suffered further serious respiratory complications. I was equally disturbed by the decision to remove her feeding tube. My mother did not like the tube and fought against it, but she is also a neurologically compromised patient in an extraordinarily delicate condition. In circumstances such as these, comfort and preference must surely be weighed carefully against the… responsibility to preserve her safety and ensure that she receives adequate nutrition. Yes, she passed a swallow study. Yes, she can swallow. But that was never the entirety of my concern. The question was whether oral feeding was sufficiently safe for *this particular woman*, with *this particular neurological and respiratory history*. A test result should not become a substitute for looking at the whole human being lying in the bed. My family has already watched my mother endure more than anyone should have to endure. We were not asking for miracles. We were asking for prudence, for careful clinical judgement and for her vulnerability to be taken seriously. When a patient cannot fully advocate for herself, I believe the responsibility of those entrusted with her care becomes greater, not lesser. I understand perfectly well that no physician can promise that pneumonia, aspiration or other complications will never recur. Medicine does not offer such guarantees. But there is a profound difference between being unable to prevent every complication and failing, in my view, to exercise sufficient caution when the warning signs are already present. My mother is not merely a diagnosis, a bed number or a discharge to be completed. She is a human being whose life carries immeasurable value to her family. Following what occurred after this admission, I have lost confidence in Dr Azeem's judgement regarding her care and would not be comfortable entrusting her treatment to him again.