SUKKUR: The medical superintendent of the Jacobabad civil hospital on Thursday lodged an FIR against two brothers of a paralysis patient accusing them of storming into the emergency ward, misbehaving with the duty doctor and trying to forcibly take him away with them.

All doctors, paramedics and employees of the hospital went on a strike to register their protest.

According to sources at the hospital, Mohammed Anwar and Noor Hassan, belonging to the Panhwar community, had brought their third brother, Imam Ali, to the emergency ward.

The Panhwar brothers said they requested the dispenser on duty, Mr Pervez, to immediately call a doctor as Imam Ali was in a serious condition. “Mr Pervez treated us rudely as he was drunk,” alleged the two brothers, and said his attitude provoked a heated argument as they were under immense stress due to their brother’s deteriorating condition and an unnecessary delay in providing him immediate treatment.

They said they themselves went to the duty doctor, Dr Hassan Raza Khoso, to complain about Mr Pervez’s attitude but without listening their problem, he asked them to get out of his room. “Similar was the attitude of other doctors and staff at the hospital,” they alleged.

During the episode, sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Abubakr Sadhayo arrived at the emergency ward and apprised himself of the matter, they said, adding that the magistrate advised them to take Imam Ali to some private hospital.

In the meantime, doctors, paramedics and other employees of the hospital stopped their work in protest against the “unruly” behaviour of the Panhwar brothers.

They accused the Panhwars of having adopted a threatening posture and trying to manhandle Mr Pervez and Dr Khoso during their heated argument.

They also claimed that the two men tried to forcibly take away Dr Khoso with them in order to force him to attend to their brother.

According to the medical superintendent of the hospital, the area police had to be called out to control the situation.

The protesting hospital staff said that the local chapter of the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) took immediate notice of the episode and asked doctors to observe a strike and wear black armbands.

The doctors held a sit-in in front of the MS’s office which was joined in by paramedics and other employees.

A large number of patients present at the hospital had to suffer due to the closure of the emergency ward and unavailability of doctors and support staff at other sections.

Jacobabad PMA leaders Dr Abdul Ghaffar Rind, Dr Ram, Dr Mohammed Hanif Talani and others, speaking to local reporters, said that misbehaviour with doctors could not be tolerated.

They said doctors and paramedics felt insecure due to such incidents and that’s why they decided to register a protest by observing a strike.

They demanded arrest of the Panhwar brothers as the FIR (02/2018) had already been lodged against them at the Civil Lines police station on the complaint of the hospital’s medical officer.

The incharge of the MNA’s complaint cell, Jacobabad, Mir Fahad Jakhrani, when contacted for his comment, said that he had collected facts regarding the episode which would be conveyed to the competent authority for an appropriate action.

Published in Dawn, January 5th, 2018