Argument goes awry: Hospital staff beat up patient’s attendants

RAWALPINDI: Family members of a patient with a fractured leg were subjected to verbal and physical assault after they failed to present their national identity card when demanding a wheelchair for the patient from the staff at Holy Family Hospital.

However, the hospital administration has suspended the ward boy concerned and ordered an inquiry into the issue.

According to reports, after hurling abuses, the hospital staff started beating two of the caregivers while the patient, lying on the road with his broken leg, kept pleading them to stop.

People standing nearby rushed to stop the brawl and rescued the victims from the hold of hospital staff.

The family members were compelled to pick up the patient in their hands to shift him to the emergency ward.

Meanwhile, following the ruckus, the hospital administration suspended ward boy Khawaja Azhar Wayin and directed the DMS to probe into the incident and file a report within three days.

The family members had started protesting and more and more people were gathering around them. However, senior officials of the hospital assured them that the errant staff has been suspended and an inquiry has been ordered.

Satisfied with the official assurances, the family left the hospital.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 4^th, 2018.