PESHAWAR: Doctors here have expressed concern over the delay in inquiry report pertaining to a clash between the doctors and paramedics over possession of a hostel in the Lady Reading Hospital and warned to observe a province-wide protest on Nov 30 if the investigation process is not completed within three days.

Speaking at a joint press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Thursday, members of various associations of doctors, led by Doctors’ Action Committee head Dr Rizwan, said that paramedical employees had attacked doctors on Nov 16 at the DGO hostel and beaten up medical officers many of whom were still under treatment.

Accompanied by other doctors, Dr Rizwan claimed that paramedics had nothing to do with the hostel, but they had resorted to violence on TMOs in an effort to forcibly occupy the building.

The incident, he said, had taken place due to inappropriate security, adding that doctors still felt insecure, but the administration was least bothered to take steps for protection of the community in the hostel’s premises.

“We had timely informed the administration about a possible attack, but no action was taken in this regard,” he said.

The committee head said that following the ugly incident doctors were set to observe strike, but some senior officials of the provincial government intervened and assured them to conduct an inquiry into the incident within three days and thus the strike was called off. He complained that the inquiry committee chairman, Dr Moatasim Billah, did not probe the case in the given time.

Dr Rizwan said that they had given another deadline of three days for submitting the inquiry report otherwise the doctors across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would observe a complete strike on Nov 30. He also sought help of the mediapersons in probing the matter and fixing responsibility for the incident.

“We will observe strike on Nov 30 and in case of any issue the responsibility would rest with the provincial government,” he warned.

Published in Dawn, November 27th, 2015