INSTANCES of severe intimidation, legal proceedings and even harassment are rather common these days against medical professionals, undermining the very essence of this noble profession. The situation is worsening due to the recurring trend of filming heated moments. A recent act of an assistant commissioner defaming a lady doctor in a video clip at the Tehsil Headquarter (THQ) Hospital Burewala serves as an example of the fragile condition of doctors.

It is not unusual for doctors to be stuck in a quagmire. They sometimes have to wait for expert advice from senior professionals. Required medicines and equipment are often unavailable in hospitals. Institutional protocols, mostly avoidable, also have to be followed. As doctors are at the forefront, they are often blamed and insulted for not providing due care.

Additionally, filming such incidents and spreading them on social media further add insult to injury. In this situation, it is not surprising at all that brain drain is increasing. Those who remain committed to their profession are forced to have second thoughts.

People should empathise with doctors who work diligently, often in 30-hour shifts, and attend to hundreds of patients and their families each day. Recording them without consent with the aim of defaming them is unethical. Public should support doctors so that they perform their duties with motivation, not under threat or intimidation.

Muhammad Majid Shafi
Islamabad

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2026