KARACHI, May 28: The Liaquat National Hospital is a non- profit private hospital where in terms of rules of business, union activities are not allowed.

This was stated by the administrator of LNH in response to a news-item regarding a dispute between the LNH management and hospital employees.

On April 16, he alleged, the members of the employees association had dragged out staff on duty from wards and staged a sit-in without thinking about the risk to the lives of patients in the intensive-care unit.

The LNH administrator claimed that disciplinary action had been taken under hospital rules and regulations. He added that show-cause notices had been served to 49 workers and inquiries conducted against them. Those who had failed to appear before the inquiry officer, their inquiries had been conducted ex-parte and they had been dismissed from service according to inquiry reports.

He said eight workers out of fifteen who had attended the inquiry had been allowed to resume their duties.

He said the workers had been taken into judicial custody by the local administration for causing law and order situation and in order to safeguard the welfare of the patients particularly the patients in the ICU.—APP