RAWALPINDI: Scuffle between doctors and patients’ attendants in the emergency department of Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) on Sunday forced doctors to stage a strike.

The services in the emergency department resumed after registration of a first information report (FIR) against the patient’s attendants in the local police station. However, Young Doctors Association (YDA) demanded improvement of security of doctors.

According to details, a patient suffering from kidney disease died on Sunday and attendants held doctors responsible for the death and attacked them. Upon this, the doctors lodged an FIR against the mob with Waris Khan police station and after its registration, they ended their token strike.

YDA BBH President Dr Humayun Warraich told Dawn:“The mob brutally hit male and female doctors, threatened and tried to murder a female doctor, broke medical equipment and doors. One doctor is severely injured. Culprits left the emergency in the presence of police.”

He said in response to the recent incident, the YDA showed utmost resistance and resilience despite being pressurised by the administration. “Both at the district and hospital level, emergency services were withdrawn for the whole night. An FIR, according to our demands including sections 506 and 427 has been lodged against the culprits,” he said.

After this, the association’s BBH chapter has asked for more security outside the emergency department besides declaring that a one patient - one attendant policy will be observed from now on.

The tender of the current “incompetent security company” deployed at BBH should be cancelled.

Dr Warraich said if our demands were not met, “we will consider complete withdrawal of Outdoor Patient Department and Emergency department services as it is not possible for doctors to work under these hostile conditions”.

Published in Dawn, September 5th, 2022