ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) emergency department was emptier than usual on Saturday, even though nearly 200 people were brought to the hospital from the Faizabad sit-in.

The Pims emergency department is typically so busy it can be difficult to find space to stand, but on Saturday doctors appeared more relaxed than usual, and the a number of beds were also empty.

Pims media coordinator Dr Waseem Khawaja said the emergency wing sees around 2,000 patients every day, with almost 70pc coming from outside Islamabad.

“Because of the operation against participants of the sit-in at Faizabad, most of the people from outside the city did not come to Pims as the motorway and G.T. Road were closed. Moreover, additional staff were deputed at emergency because of the operation, so patients did not face any problems,” he told Dawn.

Hospital is well-equipped to meet the requirements of capital, residents as long as patients from outside the city don’t come in, says Pims media coordinator

Dr Khawaja said Pims is more than sufficient to meet the requirements of capital residents as long as patients from outside the city stop coming to the hospital.

According to the hospital’s emergency shift in-charge, Dr Farrukh Kamal, a number of beds were vacant because of the reduction in general patients.

“By evening we received as many as 178 patients, of which 69 were police officials, 57 were from the [Frontier Constabulary] and 52 were civilians. As many as 55 patients were retained because of head and other serious injuries, and the majority of civilians were shifted to police stations after being treated,” he said.

Banigala Station House Officer Zulfiqar Ahmed, who was at the hospital because of a head injury, told Dawn that before the operation, a written affidavit was submitted by all police officials stating that they would not be armed.

“We were also given instructions that we would not hit protesters in the head, so we [aimed for] their bodies while the protesters hit us in the head. That is why protesters were injured several times less than law enforcement officials,” he claimed, adding that if they had reacted equally to the protesters, “there would be a different situation”.

Frontier Constabulary official Dilawar Khan, 26, said he and his colleagues were called in from Attock for the operation. He said he already had a fever, but participated in the operation after receiving the order.

“But I fell because I was exhausted, and the protesters beat me with sticks.”

Pims administrator Dr Altaf Hussain said that he had ordered doctors not to differentiate between law enforcement and the protesters.

“We are doctors, and we will provide equal treatment to all the patients. I have ensured that medicine, blood and staff are available round the clock; the high alert with continue until the operation culminates,” he said.

Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2017