OKARA, June 11: The public and private sector doctors went on a strike following a brother of PPP MNA from NA-143 allegedly thrashed a medical officer in emergency ward of the DHQ Hospital on Tuesday night and tried to abduct him holding him responsible for the death of an injured man.

According to hospital sources, Shahbaz of Akbar village was brought to the hospital emergency on Monday night after he suffered multiple fractures in a road accident. Duty doctor Iqbal Husain provided first-aid to the injured, advising his relatives to shift him to some hospital in Lahore immediately as he needed orthopedic surgery. The DHQ hospital has been without an orthopedic surgeon for the last three years.

The sources said the relatives of the injured were reluctant to act upon the doctor’s advice as they faced financial constraints. However, Shahbaz was sent to Lahore on Tuesday where he succumbed to his injuries.

As the body was brought back to the DHQ hospital for postmortem, MNA Rai Ghulam Mujtaba’s brother Rai Mazhar arrived there along with his men and started beating up MO Dr Iqbal Husain. The accused and his accomplices also tried to bundle the MO into a van and used abusive language for nurses and other paramedical staff.

Meanwhile, police were informed of the situation, and they reaching the hospital dispersed the accused party.

Later on, doctors assembled at the DHQ Hospital and protested against the highhandedness of MNA’s brother. They also refused to conduct the postmortem. However, on the request of DCO Farhan Aziz Khwaja, Pakistan Medical Association Secretary-General Dr Ishtiaq Ali conducted the postmortem.

Dr Iqbal Husain got medico-legal certificate (MLC) and filed an application with the A division police for registration of a case.

On Wednesday, a delegation of PMA Okara chapter met DPO Ihsan Sadiq, demanding case registration who directed A division police in this regard. The police have yet to register a case.

Sources say the DPO has called DHQ Hospital MS Dr Aslam Hameed and Dr Iqbal Husain in his office.

PMA’s local president Dr Shukat Ali, secretary genral Dr Ishtiaq Ali and MMA District President Dr Capt (retired) Liaquat Ali Kusar have told journalists they would not call off the strike till the registration of a case.

They warned if the case was not registered, the strike call would be given from Punjab PMA’s platform.

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