FAISALABAD: The security contract of a company serving five state-run institutions -- the Faisalabad Medical University, the Allied Hospital, the DHQ hospital, the General Hospital and the College of Nursing -- has been terminated on various charges.

The contract has been terminated with immediate effect following a meeting held at the FMU vice chancellor’s office on Thursday, which was convened to probe an issue of alleged harassment and misbehaviour of a guard with a lady doctor a day earlier.

The security of these institutions had been given to Zulfiqar Security, a private company that was also fined a couple of days ago by the medical superintendent of the Allied Hospital for not protecting the doctors when they were being allegedly thrashed by attendants of patients. Besides, many incidents of manhandling of attendants or even patients by security guards over minor issues forced the doctors to discharge them from the hospitals even without any kind of treatment.

A Young Doctors Association office-bearer, Dr Adnan said a guard at the Medical Unit-2 of Allied Hospital humiliated and harassed a lady doctor. The guard followed her and asked for the contact number of the lady doctor and when she rebuked him, the suspect threatened and misbehaved with her.

He said a similar incident had been reported a few days ago when security guards of the same company misbehaved with girl students outside the DHQ hospital. Dr Adnan said an ultimatum had already been given by the FMU VC for discontinuation of contract.

The security contract was awarded to the company on Oct 30 last for one year. In the termination letter, VC Dr Zafar Chaudhry said that according to award letter the company was bound to fulfill all the terms and conditions but from the day one it did not fulfill the contractual obligations.

Time and again, all components of the FMU received complaints including those from the Punjab chief minister’s portal. In response to these complaints, explanations/ show-cause notices, fines and other measures were taken by the hospital administration, but the company didn’t do the needful rather used derogatory language against the hospital administration.

“In view of the above said summary your behaviour is the sheer violation of terms and conditions of contract. So your security company contract is hereby terminated with immediate effect in the best interest of institution and public at large,” the letter reads. Allied Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Khurram Altaf confirmed termination of the contract.

Published in Dawn, April 5th, 2019