Nawabshah, July 19: District Nazim Faryal Talpur took serious notice of the reports of sexual assault on nursing students by a doctor and paramedics at the Nawabshah Medical College Hospital (NMCH) and directed the chairperson of Women Centre to provide legal help to the victims.

The nazim told Dawn that she was shocked to learn about the incident. She had directed the chairperson of Women Centre to meet with the nursing students and enquire about the facts behind the incident, she added.

She said that she would herself visit the hospital on Friday and meet with the nurses.

Qamarun Nisa Dhamrah, chairperson of Women Centre, said that in light of the nazim’s directives the centre would provide legal help to the nurses with the help of district coordination officer and district police officer who were officio members of the centre.

DPO Dr Ghulam Sarwar Jamali said that he had sent police officials to the nurses who offered to provide them legal help but they refused to opt for legal proceedings.

A senior official at the hospital said while requesting anonymity that the enquiry committee which recorded statements of both the parties had submitted its report to the Medical Superintendent Prof. Dr Gulshan Memon.

He said that the committee found ECG technician Zakir Hussain Soomro guilty but failed to find any proof against Dr. Moazam Bhatti, a postgraduate student and paramedic Gul Mohammad.

MS Prof. Dr Gulshan Ali Memon was not available for comments when this scribe tried to reach him.

Our Hyderabad bureau adds: The doctor and paramedics of the NMCH on Thursday rejected nurses’ allegations that they had tried to molest them and demanded nurses’ medical examination.

Dr Moazzam, ECG technician Zakir Hussain Soomro and paramedic Gul Mohammad at a news conference at the press club threatened to move court against the nurses.

They blamed the nurses for trying to blackmail them. If they had been subjected to criminal assault on the night of July 16, as they had alleged, they should have reported it to RMO on night duty and other officials, they argued.