October 1, 2007	Monday	Ramazan 18, 1428

KARACHI, Sept 30: The patient-service at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), which was disrupted following murder of a doctor on Sept 26 and the ensuing protest campaign by his colleagues, including doctors, paramedics and administration employees, is likely to resume on Monday, said sources at the JPMC.

The JPMC staff had started a boycott of patient handling and work in the surgical section on Sept 27 in protest against the murder of Prof Mubashir A. Sheikh of the clinical pathology department outside his clinic in Mehmoodabad.
On Saturday, doctors and paramedics observed a one-hour strike and did not report to their respective departments and sections, badly affecting the routine medical and surgical services at the centre.

The association of JPMC held a condolence meeting for the Prof Mubashir, who was also principal of the JPMC College of Medical Technology. Executive Director of the centre Prof Rashid Jooma was in the chair.

While paying rich tributes to the services of Dr Sheikh, speakers on the occasion expressed their concern over the law and order situation in the city, and urged the government to ensure safety and security of the professionals and other employees of the JPMC.

They condemned that the killers of Dr Mubashir were still at large.

In recognition of the late professor’s services to the hospital and ailing humanity, the meting recommended naming the JPMC’s clinical laboratory after his name.

General-secretary of the Pakistan Medical Association, Karachi, Dr S.M. Qaiser Sajjad and Prof Owais were among those who spoke on the occasion.

Talking to Dawn, Prof Jooma said that things had started returning to normal at the centre, and hoped that routine services at all sections and departments would resume on Monday.

“All doctors, paramedics and other employees have been advised to resume their normal duties,” he said.

In reply to a question, he said though there had been a demand for the winding up of the physiotherapy college but he personally felt that problems pertaining to that institution could be sorted out by ensuring an improved academic environment, besides resolving the issues of admission and training.