Losing patience with patients

MULTAN: A brawl broke out between Nishtar Hospital doctors and a patient’s family on Tuesday. Both groups, the doctors as well as the patients family, have blamed the other for the fight.

After receiving information about the quarrel, Nishtar Hospital administration and police reached the scene and questioned eyewitnesses about the incident. Sakina Bibi, a kidney patient, who was admitted to ward seven said that her relatives Rafaqat and Anwar Khan had come to the hospital from Sahiwal and had two female attendants with them. “The doctors kept asking our attendants to get medicine from the market without telling us,” Sakina said. “They were having them run errands for the nurses and asking them to get supplies for them,” she added.

Sakina said that when her relatives asked the doctors to stop having their attendants fetch things for them, the doctors beat them up. “We merely told the doctor that they had no right to tell our servants to run errands for them and they responded by hitting us,” Rafaqat said.

Meanwhile, Nishtar Hospital ward seven doctors said that a female doctor was examining the patient, Sakina Bibi, when the patient’s attendant misbehaved and pushed the lady doctor. “Dr Nusrat was examining Sakina when her maid attacked the doctor and pushed her into the wall,” said Dr Zia, adding “we heard the commotion and came to the room to stop her.” Medical officials at Nishtar Hospital said that the brawl soon escalated as the patient’s family joined in and began abusing the doctors.

Dr Hamza said that Anwar Khan and Rafaqat with the help of their other friends tortured Dr Zubair, Dr Zia and Dr Hamza. The men allegedly broke Dr Zubair’s nose and other doctors were also beaten with sticks. Nishtar Hospital medical superintendent (MS) Dr Zafar Niazi, assistant MS Dr Zafar Alvi, Multan Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) president Dr Shahid Rao, general secretary Dr Kashif Chishti and other doctors and police officials reached the scene and questioned eyewitnesses. The doctors have submitted an application to the police to take action against those who tortured the doctors. “This is outrageous. The patient’s family has broken medical equipment and tortured several doctors,” said PMA president Dr Shahid Rao, adding “This incident shows how doctors are taken for granted. A doctor was assaulted simply for examining a patient.”

“The doctor’s have twisted the entire story to suit their purposes. They were abusing our servants and exploiting us and when we questioned them they beat us,” said Rafaqat. PMA and Young Doctors Association (YDA) Multan announced a strike on Wednesday for all hospitals in the district.  Outdoor wards and operation theatres remain closed for the entire day and the doctors continued to protest.

PMA president Dr Shahid Rao, general secretary Dr Kashif Chishti, Dr Zahid Sarfaraz, Dr Mazhar Chaudhry, Dr Muhammad Ali, Dr Ali Waqas, Dr Sajid Akhtar, Dr Asif Noor and Dr Nusrat Buzdar while addressing a press conference said that Sakina Bibi’s attendants tortured doctors and broke Dr Zubair’s nose. “The female doctor involved has received head injuries,” Rao said, adding “doctors should be given protection and action should be taken under the Anti-Terrorism Act against those responsible.”

Sakina Bibi’s attendants protested against the doctors at the Multan press club. They family blocked Abdali Road and shouted slogans against doctors. Several local residents also participated in the protest demonstration including Jamil Khan, Mazhar Abbas, Israr Khan and Rub Nawaz. Jamil Khan said “Our servants were tortured by the doctors because she asked them not to prescribe the same medicine over and over again.” “They abused our attendants and made them run errands on their behalf,” said Israr Khan.

Police officials have arrested Sakina’s servant Moeenuddin on the doctors’ instructions. Sakina’s family said that the Cantt Police had refused to register a case against the doctors. The family has appealed to the Punjab Chief Minister to take notice of the situation and to punish the doctors involved.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 27^th,  2011.