KARACHI, April 22: The Jinnah Post-graduate Medical Centre (JPMC) on Monday remained closed in protest against the murder of Dr Hafiz Amir Muavia, a consultant urologist at the hospital.

Dr Muavia, aged 35, was shot in the head by armed motorcyclists at 9pm on Saturday while he was leaving the Neuro-spinal Medical Institute in Saddar area. Although he was operated upon immediately at the NMI and later shifted to the JPMC, he succumbed to injuries at 3am, on Sunday.

His colleagues at the JPMC urology department held Quran Khawani on Monday and later organized a condolence meeting, in which they condemned the killing and demanded the government to immediately arrest the killers. The meeting also unanimously demanded pension for the family of Dr Muavia, besides payment of Rs3 million as compensation to his widow.

It was also decided that an account in the name of Dr Muavia’s widow would be opened, where doctors would deposit half of their next month’s salary.

After the meeting, the doctors marched to Sharea Faisal, where they blocked the street at the traffic intersection near Hotel Regent Plaza for about half an hour in an attempt to highlight their protest and demands. Traffic on this busy road had to be diverted because of the protest.

The protesting doctors, however, dispersed peacefully after DIG operation Tariq Jameel assured them that the police would arrest the killers and provide protection to other doctors.

The JPMC emergency was, however, opened at around 4pm to accommodate a number of waiting cases. Because of the hospital closure, a large number of patients visiting the emergency and OPDs moved to the Civil Hospital. All scheduled surgeries and other programmes at the hospital were also cancelled.

Meanwhile, a general body meeting of the Doctors’ Association has been scheduled for Tuesday at 10am to decide future strategy. A condolence meeting will also be held at the PMA House at 3.30pm.

No patient was attended even at the emergency section, while all OPDs of varied sections also remained closed since morning, causing great hardship to the people, adds APP.

Some 350 doctors, besides a large number of paramedics and nursing staff gathered at the administration block where a general body meeting was held and fateha offered for the departed soul.

The general body demanded of the government to announce an immediate assistance of Rs1.5 million for the bereaved family. They also demanded issuance of arms licences to all doctors in the city.

The doctors refused to accept the amount of Rs100,000 announced by the JPMC director for Dr Muavia’s family and said much more was required to be done for the unfortunate family.

It was decided that JPMC employees would observe a strike on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The city administration was reminded that more than 63 doctors were killed during the last two years, while only a few culprits were apprehended.