MIANWALI, Aug 3: Doctors of the District Headquarters Hospital, Mianwali, went on strike on Friday to protest the registration of a murder case against their medical superintendent Dr Muhammad Farooq Khan and medical officer Dr Zafar Iqbal Khan.

The case was registered on Thursday on the complaint of brother of Haji Rustam Khan, a trader who died at the hospital some weeks back due to the alleged negligence of doctors. The DHQ doctors however term the case politically motivated.

The Pakistan Medical Association, Mianwali chapter, held a meeting to decide their agitation plan. PMA secretary-general Dr Qaiser Obaid Khan said no doubt that the first duty of the doctor was to save his patient’s life. “We are also grieved at the death of Haji Rustam Khan but the registration of murder case is not fair.”

Threatening with an indefinite strike, they said all private clinics in the district would also join their protest.

They said the Punjab government had announced free medicines for all emergencies but no drug was being provided to the local DHQ Hospital. “Doctors have donated air-conditioners to the CCU and medicines to the emergency. Doctors don’t get credit for saving lives but are criticized for deaths. And in the case in question we did everything we could.”

Meanwhile, at a joint news conference, representatives of the Mianwali District Bar Association, All Traders Association and All Transport Association said that the doctors should admit their mistakes and call off the strike. “The inquiry (against the two doctors) has been conducted by their colleagues (doctors) and they should accept its findings.” —Correspondent