LAHORE: Hundreds of heart patients have reportedly been denied treatment at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC), Lahore, for the last two days or so as the doctors are protesting against the alleged incompetence of the institute’s top management, failing to resolve core issues of the poor patients.

The protesting doctors have closed down the OPDs and other wards of the only cardiac hospital in the city, besides refusing treatment to the indoor patients as well.

The PIC has been facing a crisis due to an acute shortage of life-saving medicines, doctors, nurses and other staff.

The protesting doctors blame the PIC Executive Director (ED) Prof Bilal Sheikhu Mohyuddin, who was appointed in November 2024, for the crisis.

OPDs shut down, indoor patients also denied treatment

He was removed from the same post by the caretaker chief minister on June 16, 2023, following complaints that a “mafia” was referring the Sehat Sahulat Programme patients from the PIC to private hospitals, says an official.

He says that there were also complaints that the patients suffering heart attack were being administered injectable medicines, instead of primary angioplasty treatment.

The executive director is also accused of failing to overcome the financial and administrative crisis being faced by the institute, that was worsening since he took charge.

The official says that the shortage of life-saving drugs, particularly led to the doctors’ agitation at the PIC, bringing their two groups on the verge of a physical clash two days ago.

He says that the doctors were agitated because they have to face the wrath of the attendants of poor patients when they inform them about absence of the life-saving medicines at the facility and ask them to buy the same from the private market.

Talking to media persons, a senior leader of the Young Doctors Association, Punjab, Ijaz Kharal alleged that the institute’s top management was harassing medics for demanding free medicines for the poor patients.

Dr Kharal regretted that as many 60 positions of medical officers (MOs) were lying vacant at the PIC, besides 100 others of the nurses.

Similarly, he said, 150 paramedics posts were also awaiting appointments, adding that the Echography machines of the hospital were not functioning for the last many months.

Dr Kharal said that the poor patients visiting the PIC were crying for medicines and timely treatment, but no one was ready to address their legitimate demands.

Instead, the institute’s head and other admin officers, who were enjoying perks and privileges, were hurling threats at the protesting doctors, he deplored.

The protesters have threatened to expand the scope of agitation to other hospitals of the province if the core issues they raised were not addressed timely.

On the other hand, PIC Medical Superintendent Dr Shoaib Aslam denied the allegations of shortage of medicines.

He said that the poor patients were getting medicines and treatment without any interruption.

Dr Shoaib claimed that the heart patients registered under the Punjab chief minister scheme were also getting medicines at their doorstep regularly.

Published in Dawn, January 29th, 2025