KARACHI:
The recent incident of physical assault on a well-respected ophthalmologist, Dr Azam Ali, made me ponder over the safety of practising medicine in Pakistan. As a young doctor who got her licence to practise medicine a few years back — after years of hard work to earn a prestigious title with her sweat, blood and tears — the excitement of finally being able to actually save lives soon turned into serious concern as news about this despicable act started circulating on social media.
Dr Azam Ali, an Agha Khan University, graduate is a well-respected ophthalmologist based in Karachi. He has offered self-less services to ensure the well-being of countless patients and has trained scores of medical students, residents, and fellows. I feel privileged to have known him as an inspiring physician, a role model for many, with excellent credentials and outstanding professionalism. An attack on him makes me question the safety and security of healthcare professionals across Pakistan. I foresee this as an attack on the nobility of this profession, which simply should not be tolerated under any circumstances.
Having survived a grueling year of internship at a busy, tertiary care public-sector hospital in Lahore, I can say with certainty that this is not an isolated incident. I have seen several similar ghastly incidents of verbal and physical assaults on doctors first-hand, should the treatment outcome go against the patients’ and their attendants’ wishes. Unfortunately, the use of violence to express your dissatisfaction with patient care seems to have become the order of the day. An official inquiry into this matter is still pending. Staying silent now will set a discouraging precedence to deter young healthcare professionals from serving patients in their own country.
Romesa Ibrahim
Lahore
Published in The Express Tribune, March 17th, 2021.
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