August 14, 2008	Thursday	Sha'aban 11, 1429

FAISALABAD, Aug 13: Doctors of Allied Hospital vent their ire by closing all wards except emergency in protest against the misbehaviour of the investigations senior superintendent of police (SSP) and his bodyguards with a fellow doctor here on Wednesday.

Doctors from the outdoor and indoor wards of the hospital observed a token strike against SSP Rana Iqbal and his guards who manhandled Dr Osman Afzal of the medical unit-III at the emergency ward on Monday. Dr Afzal was present at the emergency ward for treatment of a patient.

Health practitioners suspended their work for nearly three hours and demanded immediate suspension of SSP Iqbal, who threatened the doctor with dire consequences.

Punjab Medical College Principal Dr Asghar Ali, who is also the chief executive officer of the Allied Hospital, and Medical Superintendent Dr Bashir Ahmed approached the protesting doctors and promised them that the matter would be brought into the notice of police high-ups for action against the accused policemen.

All doctors called off their strike when Dr Ali said the city police officer (CPO), Mohammad Aslam Tareen, had assured he would personally look into the matter for immediate solution.

Sources said Mr Iqbal visited the hospital when the roof of a house collapsed in Qadirabad area the other day following heavy rain. Seeing the condition of a patient, sources said he asked a constable to fetch a duty doctor immediately. The constable approached Dr Afzal, sitting at the staff counter, and informed him that SSP was calling him for treatment of the patient. However, he refused to visit him saying that he was not duty doctor at the emergency ward.

Talking to Dawn, Dr Afzal said constables shoved him on the directives of SSP Iqbal, who also threatened to put him behind the bars as he had dared disobeying him.

He said policemen were about to arrest him when some of his colleagues intervened and settled the issue temporarily.

Dr Afzal said he moved the hospital administration for proceedings against policemen.

SSP Iqbal was repeatedly contacted by Dawn but his cell phone was found switched off.

Sources said a delegation of doctors would meet the CPO on Friday in connection with this case.