ISLAMABAD: In the wake of the attack on senior cardiologist Prof Dr Shahid Nawaz Malik at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), the government on Monday decided to hire 36 armed guards for the hospital within 72 hours.

Besides, it was also decided that security measures for all public sector hospitals would be enhanced. The height of the boundary walls of the hospitals would be raised to eight feet and there would a chief security officer in each of the healthcare centres.

In the meantime, doctors, nurses and paramedics from all the public sector hospitals held a protest against the attack and blocked the main road in front of Pims for almost an hour on Monday.

Prof Malik, the head of the cardiology department at Pims, was attacked by two armed motorcycle riders in the parking area of the hospital on Saturday. After the attack, a number of meetings were held to discuss security measures for all the government hospitals in the capital.

The meetings were chaired by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Minister for Capital Administration and Development Division Usman Ibrahim and the chief commissioner Islamabad.

Pims Vice Chancellor Prof Javed Akram told Dawn that in routine the hiring of security guards cannot be carried out without floating tenders. But to enhance the security at Pims on an emergency basis, the government has declared an emergency at the hospital and relaxed the rules.

After the hiring of the 36 armed security guards, he added, 80 security cameras and walk-through gates would also be installed in the hospital. He said Dr Zahid Larik had been nominated as the chief security officer of Pims.

Meanwhile, doctors and other employees of government hospitals in the federal capital held a protest at Pims and condemned the attack on Prof Malik. The administration staff and heads of different departments also participated in the protest. The participants also blocked the main road in front of Pims for an hour.

Dr Asfandyar, the chairman of the Young Doctors Association (YDA), Islamabad chapter, told Dawn that they were considering holding a strike in the hospital but in the morning 1,500 patients were waiting in the OPD so it was decided to postpone the strike.

“Moreover, the management of the hospital also requested us to withdraw the decision to observe the strike and promised that the management would also participate in the protest on Monday,” he said.

“We demanded that the attackers on Prof Malik should be arrested and foolproof security should be provided to all the doctors. Action should also be taken against the Pims security staff.”

He also demanded that the case should be referred to the military court. “All our demands should be fulfilled within two days otherwise the YDA can go beyond the strike.”

Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2015

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