Attendants protest doctors’ apathy

Published October 5, 2008

NAROWAL, Oct 4: A mob of frenzied attendants broke windowpanes of emergency ward, doctors’ offices and ambulance of Shakargarh THQ Hospital and later thrashed the doctors allegedly for not providing prompt medical treatment to over two dozens people who got injured when a tractor-trolley overturned on Chak Amroo Road on Saturday.

Around 30 people onboard the trolley were going from Chhanni Brahmana village to Shakargarh when it turned turtle near Phalwari village as a result of which one passenger died on the spot while others received injuries. They were shifted to THQ Hospital where the hospital staffers did not attend the injured for around two hours.

Meanwhile, another man succumbed to his injuries at the hospital because of delay in treatment, which made the attendants infuriated. Later, they brought the hospital staffers including doctors out from their residences and offices and thrashed them. They also broke windowpanes of emergency ward and ambulance. The police rushed to the scene and controlled the situation.

Two critically injured were later referred to hospitals in Lahore. The police also registered a case under Section 322 of the Pakistan Penal Code against tractor drive Muhammad Javed. However, no action has been taken against any of the attendants or hospital staffers till the filing of this report at 11pm.

District Nazim Dr. Naimat Ali Javaid has expressed his grief and concern over the incident.