Zohra Bibi death: YDA protests after inquiry finds doctor responsible

LAHORE: Young Doctors Association’s office bearers took to the streets again and gathered in front of the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) on Thursday; this time to save one of their peers.

The report on Zohra Bibi’s death, which occurred on the floor of the Jinnah Hospital as she was not provide with a bed, has found that Dr Rashid of PIC is responsible for the incident.

According to the inquiry report, she died on January 2 as Dr Rashid refused to provide her with treatment or a bed.

Talking to the media, YDA office bearer Dr Gulshan Ahmed said the health department had unfairly registered a case against the doctor.

“They have they set the best example of nepotism and made Dr Rashid a scapegoat to hide their own inadequacies,” he alleged. He said providing beds to patients was the responsibility of government, not doctors as the latter were there to treat people.

“Everyone knows Punjab’s hospitals lack medical facilities. The government, instead of providing better equipment, is issuing false statements and is involved in point scoring,” he asserted.

Gulshan demanded the government immediately withdraw the case against Dr Rashid otherwise the association would protest on a national level. During the demonstration, junior doctors blocked the main thoroughfare on Jail Road, causing a massive traffic jam. Even ambulances were forced to stop at the entrances of Services Hospital and PIC etc.

On January, 2, 2017, 60-years-old Zohra bibi died on the floor of the Jinnah hospital. At first she was refused treatment at PIC and later doctors refused to provide a bed at the Jinnah hospital. She died as a result of the cold weather and delay in medical care.

Following the incident, locals were outraged and demanded the arrest of those who deprived the patient of a bed. Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif formed a committee of health department officials and medics to conduct an impartial inquiry.

The inquiry concluded after three months and held Dr Rashid responsible. However, junior doctors refused to accept the decision and demanded another inquiry.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 31^st, 2017.