LAHORE: The Punjab Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department has suspended postgraduate training of two young doctors of the Mayo Hospital in the wake of the recent torture incident.

It has also issued a letter of displeasure to King Edward Medical University’s professor of surgery Dr Asghar Naqi for not having ‘control’ over his student Dr Shaharyar Khan Niazi despite his frequent involvement in “violence” at the institute.

The department also suspended from service a deputy medical superintendent of the hospital for being negligent. The action was taken by the health department on the recommendations of a high-level inquiry committee which was constituted on the direction of the chief minister.

Former Allama Iqbal Medical College principal Prof Dr Eice Muhammad and University of Health Sciences Vice-Chancellor Prof Muhammad Aslam, a retired major general, were among the members of the committee that probed the incident on the complaint that a group of medics thrashed indoor patient Waqas Amin and his brother Waqar Amin over a minor issue some 10 days back.

Authorities suspend their postgraduate training for violence

The committee collected evidence, examined video clips and took statements of the relevant people and finally submitted its recommendations to the health authorities. Taking action on the recommendation of the committee, the health department awarded major penalty to Dr Shaharyar Khan Niazi mainly holding him responsible for the incident. It terminated his postgraduate training for a period of one year in all public hospitals of Punjab.

“He will not be eligible for consideration for training for good at the Mayo Hospital and before Oct 25, 2017 in any other public hospital of the province. He is also found guilty of destroying sanctity of a public office and tearing the application of Mr Waqas Amin, depriving him of his right of filing his grievances before the on-duty deputy medical superintendent,” the committee declared in its findings.

It further declared that the conduct of Dr Niazi was found not only unbecoming of a doctor but also contradictory to basic human values and noble traditions of the medical profession.

“After one year of suspension period, he may be allowed to rejoin his training in any hospital other than Mayo Hospital,” the committee declared.

As for his colleague Dr Mazhar Rafique, the committee held that he was found guilty of influencing the probe to mislead the investigators. It stated that Dr Mazhar recorded conciliatory video statement of the patient and his relatives shortly after the incident when he (the patient) was at the mercy of the doctors in a bid to protect his colleague Dr Niazi.

The health department suspended his postgraduate training forthwith allowing him to apply to the joint admission committee for consideration for training in any public hospital of the province except the Mayo Hospital.

Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2016