PESHAWAR: Doctors and paramedics on Friday announced boycott of duties at the Lady Reading Hospital here until the government provided proper security to them.

Speaking at a news conference at the press club here on Friday district nursing association’s representative Bakht Bibi, Young Doctors Association’s Dr Amjad, Provincial Doctors Association’s Dr Javed Iqbal and others rejected the allegation that an injured bus driver had died at the LRH due to negligence of the staff.

They condemned manhandling of doctors and paramedics by the relatives of the deceased on Thursday and said they had formed an action committee to ensure deployment of sufficient security personnel at the hospital to avoid such incidents in future.

They said they had decided to observe boycott of duties except emergency services against the roughing up of hospital staff.

They said the driver, injured in a road accident, was provided all possible treatment, but he succumbed to injuries.

The attendants of the driver, they said roughed up the doctors, paramedical staff and other employees and ransacked the hospital’s emergency.

“We demand early arrest of the accused, suspension and transfer of policemen who failed to secure the doctors, handing over of emergency ward to paramilitary troops and deployment of at least 100 policemen on premises of the hospital, said the doctors and paramedics.

They opposed appointment of Nausherwan Barki as chairman of the board of governors of hospital and said he usually remained out country and didn’t attend the vital meetings.

They said the incident had caused unrest and sense of insecurity among the employees and urged Health Minister Shahram Khan Tarkai to address their concerns.

Published in Dawn, June 27th, 2015

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