Protest Pitfalls: The invalid strikes back

Patients in several wards attacked doctors after they returned from the strike.

FAISALABAD:

Patients at General Hospital beat up several doctors after they returned for duty following the strike.

On Friday, after young doctors called off their strike and rejoined their duties in Allied Hospital, Social Security Hospital, General and FIC hospital there were several reports of altercations between doctors and patients in the emergency wards.

While most citizens breathed a sigh of relief, a few expressed the anger and frustration they had suffered over the past week. “I have been coming to the ward for three days because my daughter fractured her leg and there was no one to treat her,” said Fayyaz, at the General Hospital. After an attending doctor began treating his daughter the man lost his temper and beat up Dr Wasim for participating in the strike. Members of the Young Doctor’s Association (YDA) resumed work in emergency and outdoor wards of all government hospitals on Friday. All senior doctors and professor expressed pleasure at the approval of the young doctors’ demands. Five other cases were reported where patients or relatives of patients in emergency wards had altercations with the doctors and assaulted them. “I was so angry at the doctor that after he stitched up my head wound I pushed him into the door. They put us through hell,” said Saleem Waqar. Security guards at Allied hospital broke up the scuffle and calmed down the situation. The doctor involved, Dr Hasan, said that he would not press charges against the patient.

Security guards at the hospitals were on duty all day and monitored the halls. “There were quite a few reports of people pushing the doctors or fighting with them,” said hospital security guard Farooq. “I had to break up several fights but the doctors did not engage the patients,” he said.

Young Doctors’ Association Faisalabad president Dr Rai Arif demanded that the government form a judicial commission to probe the deaths which according to him were due to employment of inexperienced doctors in the wards. “We are not responsible for the anger the people are feeling. If they are angry they should redirect it at the government for letting the situation go so far,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 9^th, 2011.