MULTAN: All the doctors and paramedics of the Children Hospital and Institute of Child Health on Thursday handed over their resignations to the dean of the institute, giving 48 hours to the Punjab government for restoration of their colleagues who were suspended from service after an MPA filed a privilege motion against them and de-seating the lawmaker.

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, the representatives of Grand Health Alliance, a body comprising doctors and the paramedics, including Prof Dr Kashif Chishti, Dr Sohail Arshad, Dr Rana Waqar and others said they were protesting against the ruling PTI MPA Sabeen Gull for the last two weeks, but instead of resolving the issue, the doctors were being threatened after suspension from service.

They said on the MPA’s privilege motion, hospital MS Dr Mazharul Khaliq, DMS Dr Syed Shahid Hassan Shah and Medical Officer (MO) Dr Sadia had been summoned by the privilege committee of the provincial assembly “for not giving protocol to the MPA”.

“After this victimisation, more than 48 employees of the hospital, including senior professors, associate professors, assistant professors, senior registrars, medical officers and paramedics’ have submitted their resignations to the dean of the institute for dispatching these to health department,” said Dr Chishti.

He warned if the government did not restore the suspended doctors, besides de-seating the MPA, within 48 hours, emergency and indoor services at the hospital would be suspended in protest, and the resignations would also be dispatched to health authorities concerned.

On Oct 3, the Punjab government had suspended DMS Dr Syed Shahid Hassan Shah after PTI MPA Sabeen Gull filed a privilege motion against him in the Punjab Assembly.

Action against Dr Shah was taken under Section 6 of the Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability (Peeda) Act 2006.

He has been directed to report to the Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department.

In her motion, MPA Sabeen Gull stated she went to the hospital on July 4 to have her daughter examined and the MS directed Dr Shah to take her to Dr Sadia Khan for medical checkup of the ailing girl. She stated Dr Shah showed displeasure and and after causing unnecessary delay took her to SMO Dr Khan.

She alleged that Dr Khan was chatting with her friends, but asked her to leave his room saying he was “checking patients”.

She said when she complained to the MS about the attitude of both doctors, he expressed his inability to take action against them.

The MS, however, in his written response to the privilege motion stated that Dr Shah took the child and the MPA to the outpatient department. He stated that Dr Khan was examining patients and she asked the MPA about the issue her daughter was facing, reacting to which the MPA became angry and returned to the MS office.

“I offered to arrange for the girl’s examination in my office, but the MPA left in anger,” he stated.

“Being MS it is my responsibility that no one should leave (the hospital) angry or displeased. For which I extend my heartiest apology from Sabeen Gull Khan,” the MS concluded.

MPA Gull said filing the motion was her legal right which she used while adopting all the required procedures.

She said that she did nothing wrong and waited for three months for the decision of the privilege committee.

“It’s not a matter of ego, rather I used my right for the sake of public whom I represent. I did not go to hospital to get protocol, rather I went there for the treatment of my daughter. If they (doctors) could misbehave with an MPA then one could easily understand how they treat common people. Not me, but the privilege committee suspended the doctors,” she said.

She said: “Tomorrow (Friday), another meeting is going to be held where all the doctors are summoned. Whatever decision the committee takes will be acceptable to me,” she said.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2019