LAHORE: A scuffle broke out between some visitors and doctors at the Services Hospital shortly after a patient died due to alleged negligence of the doctors late on Friday.

The relatives and attendants of the patient also lodged a strong protest against the duty doctors, demanding action against them for delayed treatment. They said patient Waqar was shifted to the hospital in serious condition and the doctors not only misbehaved with his relatives but also delayed treatment which led to his death.

The doctors denied the allegations saying the patient died due to severe complications during treatment and his attendants turned violent and held them responsible for his death.

Eyewitnesses said the hospital turned into battlefield after both sides scuffled and attacked each other by throwing hard objects. The relatives of the patient alleged that the on-duty doctors called their colleagues from the hostels of the Services Hospital and other wards who held them up in some rooms and subjected them to severe torture. They said they were demanding timely treatment of the patient shifted with severe complications but the young doctors turned offensive and thrashed them.

The doctors said the patient was removed from the ventilator after he died due to health complications. As the doctors tried to convince them that the patient had expired, his relatives attacked the duty staff and demanded criminal action against them.

Meanwhile, police were called and they registered a case against the attendants of the patient on the complaint of hospital’s staff.

Chief Minister Usman Buzdar took notice of the incident and sought a report from the health authorities about the incident.

Published in Dawn, June 6th, 2021