LAHORE: A group of young doctors, led by a postgraduate trainee, on Saturday allegedly subjected an elderly patient and his brother to severe torture and later locked them up at a police post inside the Mayo Hospital.

Young Doctors Association Pakistan Secretary General Dr Salman Kazmi confirmed the incident and demanded an impartial inquiry into it so that the offenders could be brought to the book.

Witnesses said the medics, led by Dr Shaharyar Niazi, first beat up 50-year-old patient Waqar Amin in the East Surgical Ward in the presence of other patients and their attendants and then took him to a room in the same unit where some other young doctors joined them to “teach the victim a lesson”.

They said no one came to rescue the old man who kept on appealing to attackers for mercy. He was admitted a couple of days back to the ward.

YDA officials condemn the incident

Victim’s brother Waqas Amin told the media that he had gone to market to get some medicine when he was told that a group of young doctors was giving a severe beating to Waqar.

Quoting witnesses, he said Dr Niazi got annoyed when the patient repeatedly complained of severe pain and protested for being ignored.

He said when Waqar cried for help, Mr Niazi slapped him and then beat him up in the presence of other patients.

The duty doctor lost his temper when the patient threatened to take up the matter with the deputy medical superintendent (DMS).

Mr Waqas said Dr Niazi called his colleagues, locked his brother in a room, and beat him up with fists, kicks and slaps.

“As soon as I reached there to rescue my elderly brother, Dr Niazi and his colleagues pounced upon me and also subject me to torture,” Waqas said, adding he later approached the DMS and filed a written complaint against the attackers.

On knowing about the complaint, the attackers barged in the DMS office and again thrashed him and his brother in the presence of the admin official, he added.

“Dr Niazi grabbed my brother’s beard and dragged him to the police post where he was locked up by medic even without waiting for the police,” Waqas alleged.

A senior doctor of the Mayo Hospital told Dawn that complaints against Dr Niazi had been surfacing since long.

He said in the recent past, Dr Niazi had misbehaved with the King Edward Medical University (KEMU) vice chancellor and other senior faculty members by making a forced entry into the admin offices.

He said some evidences, including CCTV footages, had been sent to the authorities concerned for action against Dr Niazi and his colleagues showing their rude entry into the VC office but of no avail. He said the group enjoyed backing of some senior medics with vested interest.

Dr Niazi had allegedly also tortured attendants of a pregnant woman in the Lady Aitchison Hospital a couple of months back for protesting after the death of a newborn.

Police official manning the Mayo Hospital check post, Mohammad Riaz, said the patient locked up by the doctors was freed because of his health condition.

He, however, said patient’s brother Waqas was still in police custody as the doctors wanted to get him booked for “hurling threats at them”.

“YDA Mayo Hospital condemned the barbarian act and we also appeal to the KEMU VC as well as Mayo Hospital MS to take strict notice of it to hold the assailant medics accountable,” YDA Mayo Hospital chapter president Dr Shoib Khan Niazi said.

He said the victim patient and his attendants had approached the YDA office bearers shortly after the incident.

“We are going to request to the central command of the YDA Punjab to take up this issue,” Dr Shoib said. He said it was 8th such incident in which a particular group of young medics was involved.

KEMU VC Prof Faisal Masood said he would hold an inquiry into the incident and action would be taken against the medics if found guilty.

Published in Dawn, October 16th, 2016