LARKANA: A doctor was manhandled amid violent protest by relatives of a youth, who died during treatment at the Chandka Medical College Hospital (CMCH) on Sunday. Strong protest by doctors and paramedics ensued and led to intervention by police but the treatment meted out to the doctor by the SHO concerned aggravated the situation. The Larkana district and sessions judge, who was approached with request to intervene, has reportedly asked the aggrieved doctor to appear before him on Monday and record his statement.

The episode began when 15-year-old Wajid Chandio, who had suffered a head injury after falling off a bus and was admitted to the CMCH, died during treatment and his heirs blamed his death on delayed attention allegedly on the part of Dr Ishrat Mangi, of the neurosurgery unit, and other doctors.

The deceased patient’s heirs and relatives raised a hue and cry and protested against doctors. They also manhandled Dr Mangi and demanded registration of case against him.

The doctors present at the hospital disputed the protesters’ claim, saying that as a matter of fact, the patient’s relatives could not arrange the blood required for his surgery and this had caused delay in the treatment.

SHO accused of maltreating surgeon

In the meantime, Civil Lines SHO Ubaidullah Dharejo arrived at the hospital and hurled insulting remarks on Dr Mangi. He took the doctor to the police station and detained him.

Dr Manghi was kept along with criminals at the lock-up, according to Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) president-elect Dr Ikram Tunio. “We went to the police station and requested the SHO to separate him from criminals but in vain,” said Dr Tunio.

Enraged by the violent attitude of the patient’s relatives and maltreatment of Dr Mangi by the SHO, doctors and paramedics left the emergency unit and held a demonstration on the road outside causing disruption in the flow of vehicular traffic.

On the other hand, relatives of the deceased patients collected his body and took it to the SSP Chowk where they held a demonstration and blocked the thoroughfare in protest demanding registration of a case against Dr Mangi.

Dr Tunio, Abdul Rasheed Shaikh and others alleged that the SHO had tensed caused tension to heighten. Instead of pacifying the situation, he fuelled protesters’ anger, they said, and demanded removal of the SHO.

Meanwhile, doctors sent a distress message to the Larkana district and sessions judge apprising him of the episode, sources at the hospital said. Later, a magistrate was deputed to visit the Civil Lines police station to verify doctors’ claim about their colleague’s detention. However, two smart police insp­ectors clandestinely took Dr Ishrat Mangi to the hospital by a vehicle, silently dropped him at the gate of his department and drove away, the sources said.

At the SSP Chowk, Najamuddin Chandio, Abdul Hameed Chandio and other relatives of the deceased patient spoke to reporters and insisted that the delay in treatment was caused by Dr Mangi and, as such, he must be booked for the death of Wajid Chandio.

They again blocked the SSP Chowk alleging that doctors at the CMCH had locked the mortuary when they shifted the body for a post-mortem examination.

The PMA has demanded registration of an FIR against the SHO and those who attacked Dr Mangi.

It is learnt on good authority that the Larkana district and sessions judge has called Dr Mangi to his court on Monday to record his statement.

On his part, SHO Dharejo speaking to reporters claimed that he had brought Dr Mangi to the police station for security reasons.

Local PMA chapter and CMCH staff have demanded deployment of Rangers at and around the hospital for the safety and security of the staff.

Published in Dawn, March 19th, 2018