LAHORE: Young doctors along with the security staff allegedly tortured a patient’s attendant to death during a clash at the Services Hospital late on Monday.

Identified as Sunil Saleem, the deceased was an employee of the Motorway police. He had taken his pregnant sister Kiran Saleem to the Services Hospital on Monday night.

Witnesses told media the charged doctors along with the security guards dragged Sunil to a room and subjected him to severe torture.

The attackers kept on beating him till his death, the family alleged, adding that the doctors got infuriated after a female medic called them following a minor row with the patient on the issue of delayed treatment. CCTV footage showed physical clash in a hospital corridor.

The Shadman police lodged a murder case under Section 302 of the PPC against 10 doctors, 15 security guards and a dozen ward boys.

Police nominated Dr Irfan, Dr Hassan, Dr Salman, Dr Sahi and Dr Saira for being prime suspects.

The family alleged that the patient had protested against the delay in her treatment which irked Dr Saira.

The doctor allegedly slapped the patient who later brought the matter to the knowledge of her brothers and other family members. The patient’s family protested against what they called brazen act of the duty doctor.

However, the matter was resolved on the intervention of some people from both sides. The family claimed the issue got an ugly turn when the lady doctor called her male colleagues.

According to the FIR, the young doctors, security guards and ward boys attacked Sunil, his brother Anil (complainant of the case) and other relatives and beat them up for half an hour, causing instant death of Sunil.

Other attendants also got multiple injuries in the attack.

Medical Superintendent Dr Amiruddin said the attendants had attacked the doctors and other staff, injuring a security guard critically. He didn’t mention Sunil’s death in his statement and declared the young doctors `innocent’.

The MS said a committee of senior medical teachers would probe the incident. Headed by former principal of Allama Iqbal Medical College Prof Eice Muhammad, the committee would hold a thorough probe into the matter and fix responsibility.

Comprising King Edward Medical University’s professor of Neurology Dr Athar Javed, Allama Iqbal Medical College’s professor of orthopaedics Dr Rashid Saeed and health department’ s deputy secretary (technical) Dr Mohsin Mahmood, the committee would submit within three days its report to Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department Secretary Najam Ahmad Shah.

Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2018