THE tragic death of a sanitary worker in Umerkot in Sindh on Thursday highlights — yet again — how those who boast of providing aid and succour can fail to show even an ounce of humanity. Young Irfan Masih had been cleaning a deep manhole when he was rendered unconscious by poisonous gas. The team on the ground heard his call but had no equipment with which to pull him out immediately. Nevertheless, they managed to do so and took him to Umerkot Civil Hospital. Appallingly, though, the doctor on duty there allegedly refused to treat him, saying that he was fasting and that the patient was covered in filth. Given that the facility had no oxygen cylinder either, a young man who in life belonged to one of the most marginalised and discriminated against sections of society died. Meanwhile, three of his colleagues, who had also descended into the manhole to try and save him, were taken to a hospital in Hyderabad in critical condition.

Had Irfan’s family not had the courage to approach the police, there is little doubt that his death would have gone unnoticed by society in general. As it stands, his father Nazeer has managed to have an FIR registered against three doctors at the Civil Hospital — the doctor who refused to treat him, the medical officer and the medical superintendent — as well as three employees of the Umerkot Municipal Committee; it is a shocking that even in this day and age Irfan and his colleagues had been expected to work in such dangerous conditions with next to no equipment. Irfan’s death must be taken as a clarion call to improve the working conditions of one of the poorest sections of society. Meanwhile, although it has yet to be proved that the doctor did indeed refuse to treat him on the stated grounds, there is no lack of evidence that much of Pakistani society remains deeply prejudiced and ruled by antiquated notions of caste even while it celebrates the values of compassion and equality that their religious beliefs emphasise. That office-bearers of the Pakistan Medical Association have threatened the medical community will boycott out-patient departments and emergency services across the district if the doctor arrested is not released is further evidence of how meaningless the Hippocratic Oath seems to have become in the country. They should instead be lobbying for justice.

Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2017