Medical report says JPMC nurse was raped, DNA test results awaited

A medical report has said that Jinnah hospital’s trainee nurse was raped, said medico-legal officer (MLO) Dr Fehmida Mubin.

The 22-year-old third-year student was treated for head injuries a day ago after she was discovered bleeding, face down on the ground in a housing complex for doctors at the hospital. It appeared that she had either jumped or fallen from the first floor flat of MLO Dr Abdul Jabbar Memon. Dr Memon jumped from the first floor and fractured his leg. He was treated for his injuries as well.

Sindh Health Department’s chemical examination laboratory confirmed the rape after inspecting the samples collected from the victim. Chemical examiner Dr Fazal Ilahi Memon has signed the report (6713/14).

After the MLO’s report was prepared, the police added the relevant charges to the FIR against Dr Abdul Jabbar Memon but did not present him in court on Thursday. The case’s investigation officer requested an extension in his full-body remand till July 28 but the request was turned down by the court as Memon was not present. The officer explained that Memon had been directed by his doctor to refrain from walking. The court expressed its disapproval.

Saddar SI Rao Mubashir, deputy public prosecutor Babar Sohail and judicial magistrate south Abdul Qadir appeared before the court and said that an attempted-murder case has already been filed against Dr Memon but rape charges (Section 376) have also been added.

According to Dr Fehmida’s medical report, the nurse had six injuries and she was sexually abused. The reports were also presented in court.

The court allowed the IO to present Memon immediately, otherwise the remand would not be extended. But the officer failed to present him until the end of the day.

Jinnah hospital’s security officer Muhammad Akram Janjua had filed the case at Saddar police station. He said that on July 13, a second-year trainee nurse had jumped out of the window of Room 96 of the doctors’ mess at the hospital to save her life and suffered severe injuries.

It has been over 48 hours, but the nurse has yet to gain consciousness and hence her statement has not been recorded. A DNA test will also be conducted to find out if the nurse was gang-raped but the final report can only be complete after she records her statement.

The neurosurgeon, who operated on her, Professor Sattar Hashim, and other doctors on his team are trying to save her life. According to Dr Hashim, there is still some swelling on the nurse’s brain and her treatment became complicated due to blood clotting. She is being treated in the intensive care unit where she is constantly being monitored, he added.

On Thursday, Sindh Health Minister Dr Sagheer Ahmed, Secretary Health Syed Hashim Raza Zaidi, head of the department’s inquiry committee, Captain Abdul Majid, and police surgeon Dr Hamid Padhia visited the hospital.

According to an inquiry committee, the accused doctor’s statement has been recorded. He denied any involvement in the incident and blamed the nurse of conspiring against him. The committee will submit its report on Friday.

The victim’s sister told the media that her sister had complained to the administration that Memon used to bother her during work but no one took any action.

Nurses continue to protest at JPMC

The nurses, paramedical staff and students at Jinnah hospital continued their protest for the third day on Thursday. They completely boycotted the wards. The call for the strike was made by the Pakistan Nursing Federation and Provincial Nurses Association.

Patients had to face problems as the staff stayed clear of the Out-Patients Department as well. Nursing officials, Jehanzeb Khan and Sehar Naz, accused the hospital administration of shifting the accused to a private hospital even though he was not as severely injured as the victim, who is currently under treatment at JPMC.

They said that their protest will continue until the MLO is barred from practice and other doctors, who are living illegally in the doctors’ colony, are removed.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 16^th, 2010.