Young man dies amid doctors’ protest at Ayub Teaching Hospital

Medics claim surgery was delayed due to unstable condition

ABBOTTABAD: A patient at the Ayub Teaching Hospital (ATH) died allegedly due to a delayed surgery by doctors who were striking against the hospital’s administration for failing to build accommodation for them in the facility.

The family of the patient went on a rampage through the hospital to protest what they claimed was negligence and delayed response of the doctors.



On the call of the Provincial Doctors Association (PDA), doctors at ATH - both junior and seniors – had launched a protest on Tuesday. They pitched tents in the hospital grounds and car park to set up makeshift outpatient facilities and examination rooms.

Pointing to the recent death of two doctors under mysterious circumstances in private hostels located outside the hospital, the doctors demanded that the ATH administration announces to build a hostel for doctors within the hospital premises.

Despite setting up makeshift facilities, PDA President Dr Amin Afridi claimed that doctors did not neglect their duties and tended to over 2,000 OPD patients on the first day of their strike on Tuesday.

However, patients and their attendants complained of poor response by doctors.

According to the hospital and family of the deceased patient, 24-year-old Nabeel, a resident of Banda Sahib Khan village in Havelian, had been admitted to the hospital’s surgical ward ‘A’ in a serious condition at around 10 am. Doctors diagnosed him and noted he needed an appendectomy.

Usman, a relative of Nabeel, said that the young man required immediate surgery but the doctors allegedly delayed his surgery. Nabeel’s condition deteriorated and he died at 5pm in the evening.

“Our brother died due to the negligence and poor response from doctors. They are the culprits and the police must register a case against the doctors who were supposed to save the life of our brother,” said Tahir, another relative of Nabeel. He added that they had implored doctors to perform the surgery but said that they were on strike and would conduct the surgery on Wednesday.



After Deputy Medical Superintendent Dr Fazal Manan allegedly slapped one of Nabeel’s relatives in the face, it further infuriated the relatives who went on a rampage through the hospital.

Thereafter bedlam ensued and a free-for-all brawl broke out.

During the scuffle, a security guard and some Nabeel’s relatives were injured while several doors were broken.

Consequently, Nabeel’s family took his body outside the hospital.

They wanted to block the Karakoram Highway but Mirpur DSP Tahir Iqbal managed to assure them that the case would be registered against the errant doctors and staff.

However, on DMS Dr Manan’s complaint, Mirpur police have registered cases against Nabeel’s relatives including Usman, Tahir, Ismail, Shakil and some other relatives for ransacking and attacking hospital staff under sections 337 (3), 427, 177 and 186 of the PPC.

Meanwhile, ATH Medical Director Dr Salim Afzal explained that the patient was in critical condition when he was brought in.

He added that a surgery was linked to the patient’s condition stabilising, which in this case did not.

Dr Afzal categorically denied allegations of negligence by the doctors. He reiterated that 2,400 patients were attended to in the OPD while over 100 normal and emergency surgeries were conducted in the day.

Asked about when the strike would end, he said that the chairman of ATH’s board of governors was expected to meet with the doctors on Thursday and resolve the matter.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 30^th, 2017.