RAHIM YAR KHAN: A senior doctor of the Shaikh Zayed Medical College Hospital (SZMCH) has received the penalty of ‘forfeiture of past service for two years’ as punishment under disciplinary action after an inquiry that was launched in 2022.

According to an order of Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department (SH&MED), dated April 3, disciplinary proceedings were initiated against Dr Muhammad Iqbal Malik (SMO/BPS-18) under the Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability Act 2006 on the charges of misconduct. Dr Rao Rashid Qamar, the principal of the Nishtar Medical College, Multan, was the inquiry officer through an order on Nov 25, 2022.

There were allegations against Dr Malik that on April 23, 2022, he, along with other doctors working in the emergency department, forcibly entered the office of Dr Farhana Khalid (SWMO/BPS-18), the then DMS emergency department of the hospital. They were protesting against her intervention in the modification of the duty roster of emergency medical officers (EMOs), especially those working on the night duty.

They allegedly misbehaved with Dr Farhana, committed verbal abuse, attempted to manhandle her and threatened her with consequences while they harassed her in her office too.

The inquiry officer conducted the inquiry and furnished his report April 10, 2023, indicating that the charges leveled against the accused officer had been proved. The inquiry report said the show-cause notice was served on the accused doctor to afford him an opportunity of personal hearing, which he availed.

The special secretary (operations) SH&MED, in exercise of the powers conferred upon him as competent authority, imposed the major penalty on Dr Malik under the PEEDA Act.

Dr Farhana Khalid told this correspondent that in the case of harassment, some high-ups of the SZMCH, including a senior gynecologist, had saved the other accused involved in the case. She said she had even complained to the woman ombudsperson over harassment against women at the workplace but she didn’t get relief.

When contacted, SZMCH spokesperson Dr Ali Burhan didn’t reply to the calls of this correspondent.

The hospital’s focal person and deputy medical superintendent, Rana Ilyas Ahmed, told Dawn he would reply after discussing the matter with the medical superintendent but the reply never came.

Published in Dawn, April 7th, 2024