LAHORE: A professor of biochemistry and his department fellows have allegedly ‘ransacked’ Paeds Lab of the Mayo Hospital and took away equipment, official documents of the facility and the research files of the students.

The intruders spent an hour in the laboratory, snatched keys from the staff and disappeared with the items after locking the Centre, creating a great deal of unrest. The untoward incident not only brought embarrassment to the institute but also led to unrest in the teaching hospital.

An inquiry committee constituted for the purpose held Prof of Biochemistry Nakshab Chaudhry and his fellows responsible for the untoward incident and sent a report to the Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education Department secretary for action.

Separately, lab head Associate Prof Dr Mahmood Saba and an employee, Zeeshan Tufail, also filed applications with the Gowalmandi police for registration of a case against Prof Nakshab and his fellows. Both the applicants leveled allegations of taking away equipment, sensitive documents, files and record of the lab.

A copy of the inquiry report and the applications filed with the police are available with Dawn.

The inquiry was carried out by Mayo Hospital Additional Medical Superintendent (AMS) Dr Khalid Awan and Deputy Medical Superintendent (DMS) Dr Waqas Ahmad. The inquiry officers in a report stated that they probed the incident in the presence of police officials to further avoid any such nuisance. They said Dr Mahmood Saba and Assistant Prof Dr Nauman Mazhar accompanied the inquiry team.

Sharing details of the incident, the report stated it occurred on Feb 8 when Prof Nakshab, along with his fellows, unlocked the doors of the lab, entered various sections and took away assets of the facility.

“We unlocked the doors with a cutter and entered the lab where we found equipment, files of the researchers, office record and many other articles missing,” reads the report.

In Room No 1 of the lab, USB and the official and sensitive documents in the racks and in room No 2 Compound Microscopes were found missing.

The report further shared a disturbing information stating that one of the two refrigerators/freezers containing the chemicals, reagent kits and required cold chain environment (-20C) was switched off and the attached stabilizer was also off, creating a potential risk of wastage of highly sensitive materials including reagents, kits etc.

The inquiry team visited the Room 5 where it found fluorescent microscopes, along with burner, desktop (CPU, LCD, Keyboard), UPS, portable hard drive missing.

“Similarly, many important official files from the side cabinet of the Lab were also found missing,” reads the report.

According to it, Dr Nauman Mazhar who was present near the facility, rushed downstairs and saw some outsiders transferring the equipment from the lab and Prof Nakshab was accompanying them.

“Dr Nauman immediately contacted Dr Mahmood and brought matter to his notice,” according to the inquiry report.

“Prof Dr Nakshab and his staff entered the lab of paeds department of Mayo Hospital without the permission of the hospital administration,” the report concluded with a note that the facility may suffer irreparable loss in the form of wastage of sensitive material and equipment.

Published in Dawn, February 21st, 2021