"The family had to return without treatment. Arsalan was one of the thousands of patients who met a similar fate at the health facilities across Punjab." File Photo

LAHORE: Down with the all-too-visible symptoms of acute diarrhoea or food poisoning, 17-year-old Arsalan found himself at the wrong destination when he saw young doctors torment his father beseeching for ‘small mercy’.

Umair Ali, a resident of Gujranwala’s Sheranwala Gate, had brought his son to the Services Hospital OPD for treatment for vomiting and stomach ache.

Witnesses and the family alleged the agitating doctors flew into rage when they found Umair chasing a doctor and insisted on treating his son despite strike. A group of doctors, they said, thrashed the elderly man and dragged him from the OPD to the main gate of the hospital.

“They (doctors) are animals, not humans,” was all anguished Umair could say before the media.

The family had to return without treatment. Arsalan was one of the thousands of patients who met a similar fate at the health facilities across Punjab. Already battered by a lack of options, the multitude are at the mercy of disgruntled health practitioners who prefer to remain in a protest mode.

The young doctors locked OPDs of all teaching hospitals in the city on the second day running on Thursday, denying treatment to the patients also at indoor departments. Some of the doctors armed themselves with clubs and iron rods.

It is ironic that neither the hospital administrations nor government authorities came to the rescue of the ailing, allowing the doctors to not only boycott duties but also rough up and badmouth the visitors.

YDA activists also warned their seniors and other staff of the hospitals against interfering in their schedule or trying to assist any patient. The Punjab Institute of Cardiology and the Services Hospital, the stronghold of the YDA, presented scenes of scuffles, skirmishes and sloganeering.

YDA Punjab President Dr Hamid Butt and Dr Nasir Abbas criticised the Punjab government and persisted with their demand for restoration of the (sacked) doctors to their offices.

Later, Dr Butt spoke to the media at Services Hospital and hit out at the Punjab government and health authorities, also threatening them that they could go to the extent of disregarding all laws and ethics to get the senior doctors restored.

“We are not bound to follow the orders of any authority,” Dr Butt categorically said when the media reminded him of the Supreme Court observation that the doctors are not supposed to agitate on roads in connection with the PIC scam.

He even justified the thrashing of the attendants and patients.

The YDA leaders, however, denied the allegation that they were playing in the hands of vested interests.