LAHORE: The Punjab health department has made a committee to investigate the incident of a minor patient’s death at Children Hospital on May 20 and the subsequent scuffle between medical staff and attendants.

A video clip of the incident has gone viral, showing the mother of the deceased boy pleading with a doctor to forgive her and the boy’s father, who was arrested. She is seen saying that, as a woman, she cannot travel long distances with her son’s body outside of Lahore and requested the doctor to ask the police to release her husband.

However, the doctors displayed an extreme degree of cruel behaviour, stating they would not forgive the father due to the injury one of them suffered during the scuffle.

Nine-year-old Abubakar died allegedly due to the negligence of duty doctors at Children Hospital, leading to a protest by the attendants.

The scuffle began when a duty doctor slapped boy’s father, as seen in another mobile phone footage. Following the clash, several medical staff members tortured the attendants, and then called the police.

The police lodged an FIR and arrested the father and his young son. In response, the relatives of the boy staged a protest.

Headed by Postgraduate Medical Institute Principal Prof Al-Fareed Zafar, the committee has initiated an inquiry into the matter.

Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2024