MULTAN, Dec 6: Doctors and paramedical staff of all government and private sector health facilities continued their protest throughout the Leiah district for the second day on Thursday.

They observed a one-hour strike against victimization of DHQ Hospital MS and highhandedness of District Nazim and local Wapda authorities.

They also staged a sit-in the premises of DHQ hospital and vowed to observe one-hour strike daily till the acceptance of their demands which include withdrawal of the transfer orders of Dr Mukhtiyar, quashment of a false case against doctors and an end to political meddling and victimization of government officials in the district.

The protest stem from a row between the DHQ hospital management and the local Wapda officials over the possession of a defective electric transformer.

Leiah District Nazim Shahabuddin Seharr, who has some ‘personal’ grudges against Dr Mukhtiyar, joined hands with Wapda officials to ‘punish’ him. He ordered registration of an abduction case against the MS and other officials of the DHQ hospital. He also directed holding of a judicial inquiry into the death of female patient owing to, what the Nazim alleged in a letter to Leiah DCO, deliberate switching off the power supply by the MS commissioned to the hospital through a generator.

The Nazim also forced the health department to transfer the MS. Official sources said that Punjab Health Secretary Hassan Waseem Afzal tried his best to convince Mr Seharr that he was setting a bad precedent. But the Nazim remained stick to his demand and the MS was transferred.

Meanwhile, social and political circles of Leiah said in separate statements that Dr Syed had given a new look to the hospital since his taking over as MS some two years ago. “Because of his efforts, patients now prefer the DHQ Hospital to private health facilities.”

Office-bearers of the District Bar Association, PMA, Paramedical Staff Association, Anjuman-i-Tajran besides 24 opposition members of the District Council and several councillors of Leiah Tehsil Council demanded a high-level inquiry into the incident.

Mr Seharr could not be contacted in spite of several attempts on Thursday. Introducing himself as personal secretary to the Nazim, one Mian Ijaz told this correspondent by phone that Mr Seharr had gone to meet the in charge of the district army team. When contacted at home, telephone operator Haq Nawaz said that Mr Seharr was out of city and could be contacted on Friday.