Who will save Karachi’s doctors?

One morning I decided to make a surprise visit to the Civil Hospital Karachi. The motive of my visit was to get an idea of the current security arrangements, so that violence in hospitals could be prevented and controlled. Unfortunately, this visit uncovered a set of serious security breaches: there was an absence of security personnel on almost all the entrances and exits of the hospital, the main gate leading to the entrance of the emergency department was being handled by a few unarmed security guards, the police chowki was empty and it appeared that no one was on duty. Moreover, there was no sign of Rangers pickets on either of the entrances and the picket that was once parked outside the ENT department was also missing.

This serious lack of security brought back memories of an incident that took place a year ago when an armed mob entered the Civil Hospital on August 24, 2012, following the death of a political worker who was admitted with gunshot wounds. The charged mob attacked the surgical unit, two doctors and the emergency staff. Several people were threatened, female doctors harassed while their male counterparts were brutally manhandled.

Following these events, the doctors and paramedics observed a protest and went on a token strike till adequate security was provided. High promises were made by the police officials and the deputy commissioner office for arresting the perpetrators of this violence. Security was beefed up in and outside the hospital and an assurance was made to have a constant presence of Rangers inside the hospital. However, my visit showed an absolute lack of security — no presence of Rangers and no policemen on duty.

Had a mob entered the hospital that day, doctors and paramedics would have been the victims of physical and mental abuse yet again.

A similar incident occurred in Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) in December 2012, when two armed wings of political parties ended up firing indiscriminately inside the emergency unit. In the CCTV footage, the medical teams are seen running for cover. Rangers are seen responding after a few minutes and their non-serious attitude results in the escape of the culprit from right under their noses.

The doctors, medical staff, paramedics and general public visiting JPMC suffered once more when a massive bomb ripped outside the emergency unit in 2010, following a bomb blast at a bus taking people to a Chehlum procession.

Another incident took place in June this year — a suicide bombing that was followed by a hostage situation in Bolan Medical College, Quetta.

Healthcare professionals continue to be the victims of violence in Pakistan. Angry attendants, armed mobs and charged political party workers are part of a daily routine for the medical staff that faces these hostile situations while working in the emergency services.

Efficient internal and external hospital security should be provided at public hospitals, especially for Civil Hospital Karachi, JPMC and Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. These hospitals are relied on the most when the city undergoes any kind of emergency.

The least we can do is ensure the safety of our doctors and paramedics so they can do their jobs and save our lives!

Published in The Express Tribune, September 13^th, 2013.

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