10 April 2005	Sunday	30 Safar 1426

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window).

LAHORE, April 9: The Punjab health department has reportedly moved a summary to Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi to suspend Nishter Hospital Multan orthopaedic surgeon for being involved in a sexual harassment case.

Sources in the department told Dawn that the department had received report from the NMC&H Principal Prof Shabbir Nasir.

On the basis of the complaint and evidence, sources said, the department was simultaneously preparing a charge-sheet against Prof Pervez to proceed against him. “It has taken the issue very seriously and decided to take a very strong action which can be a lesson for others,” they said.

The case was reported to the college principal by the victim’s husband. The principal forwarded the complaint and relevant evidence against the professor’s conduct to Punjab Health Secretary Sohail Ahmad.

Revealing the ordeal he and his wife faced at the country’s premier health institution, the victim’s husband had reported that his son had his knee injured on Nov 26 last year and was admitted to the NMC&H where orthopaedic surgeon Prof Pervez operated upon him on Dec 2.

As his wife also had a complaint about her neck and shoulder, she also got herself examined from the same professor. The family had to visit the professor fortnightly for follow-up treatment of the woman and her son.

On March 22 this year, the doctor informed the family that it was time to remove the screws affixed to the knee joint of the complainant’s son. They admitted the boy to the hospital’s family ward for the purpose. A night before the scheduled operation, the professor called the mother to her chamber under the pretext of viewing X-rays of her son. The complainant (boy’s father) was away at that time.

The professor started making advances to her and threatened her with dire consequences if she did not submit. “Look, I am going to operate your son the next morning and anything can happen.”

She, however, managed to sneak out and returned to the ward weeping. Before the operation, the professor again called her on her cell phone to fulfil her ‘commitment.’

Immediately after the operation, the professor started compelling her to meet him at his office. At that time her son was still under the anaesthesia effect. Concerned about the life of her son, she, however, kept putting up excuses to avoid what the doctor was pressing her for.

Meanwhile, she brought the matter to the notice of her husband and also disclosed the reason for her being extremely disturbed the night before their son was to be operated upon.

In the ensuing days at the hospital, the couple remained frightened as the professor kept on insisting for ‘cooperation’ by the woman. Finally, the family left the hospital on April 2

The complaint said the objective of lodging the complaint was to expose the sexual abuse the people were subjected to in hospitals and clinics by doctors. “We have been discouraged by our families not to register complaints because in such matters society always finds fault with women,” the couple said, but pledged to fight their case come what may.

When Dawn’s Multan correspondent contacted Prof Pervez for his comments, he admitted his ‘wrongdoing’ but alleged that the woman had sent him some ‘seductive’ SMS messages from her cell phone. However, he could not support his allegation and said that he had erased all the messages.

It is learnt that Prof Pervez had diagnosed the victim for cervical ribs, but when the couple consulted some other senior orthopaedic surgeons they rejected the diagnosis and said she had just a muscular problem. But for being treated against a wrong diagnosis, her muscle tone had been damaged considerably.

The complainant alleged that the professor had made wrong diagnosis just to prolong their visits to him.