Lahore: The internal rift and consequent physical clash between two groups of the staff nurses at Services Hospital led to “stab injuries” to three of them.

The lady nurses were equipped with knives as was evident from some video clips of the incident that showed many with blood on their uniform.

Eyewitnesses said the brawl took place between nurses to grab the administrative control of the “mess” at the nursing hostel where hundreds of nurses visit daily in three shifts for food. They said the incident created a great deal of inconvenience for the administration to ensure treatment of the patients in indoor wards.

The nurses used abusive language against each other and also damaged hostel furniture.

Officials said a group of nurses had been running the mess at the nursing hostel for the last many months. They said the rival group leveled allegations of victimization and on Thursday attacked those in the saddle to occupy the nursing mess, which led to a physical clash between the two sides. The administration called the lady police and got the mess vacated from the nurses to deploy institute’s staff.

Later, both the groups of the nurses staged protest demonstrations and also staged sit-ins outside the office of the medical superintendent. They also threatened to withdraw their services, putting the hospital’s administration in hot water.

Services Hospital Chief Executive/Principal Prof Mahmood Ayaz declared it a failure of the management of the senior nursing staff. Primarily, he held the nursing superintendent responsible for the incident saying that the two groups of the staff nurses had been trying to get hold of the mess at the nursing hostel.

He said a committee comprising senior professors and admin officials had been formed to probe the incident and submit a report within 48 hours to fix responsibility.

He said the administration has taken back control of the nursing mess and deployed lady police to avoid further unrest.

Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2020