Punjab: Female doctors, staff at public hospitals scared stiff

Sources say doctors and staff pay the guards, janitors in order to stay in their good books

LAHORE: A few days after a female doctor was harassed by a janitor at Sheikh Zayed Hospital in Rahim Yar Khan, women doctors and staff at public hospitals across the province have voiced their concerns over security arrangements at such institutions.

Currently, guards from private security companies are employed at majority of the large and small scale hospitals across Punjab. Sources have revealed that these individuals only make between Rs10,000 to Rs12,000 per month.

Sources added that these companies do not run a background check on these individuals, which manifests itself in the fact that sometimes men with dubious characters, such as drug addicts, mange to slip through the cracks.

Incidents such as what happened at Sheikh Zayed Hospital occur frequently; nurses and female doctors just don’t report them out of fear, sources maintained.

Some companies pay their employees around Rs20,000. However, majority of the times they are underpaid, sources explained.

“Often, female doctors and nursing staff working the night shift will pay the guards and the janitors in order to stay in their good books,” said a doctor at Jinnah Hospital while seeking anonymity.

Doctors completing their house job are acutely aware of the fact that these people are present outside empty wards and during the night shift.

“After the incident in Rahim Yar Khan, our parents are now more fearful about our safety and security,” she added.

There are two factors that are contributing towards the fear and unease that is currently prevailing with the doctors’ community, stated Young Doctors’ Association (YDA) Secretary General Dr Salman Kazmi.

“Firstly we demand that guards and janitors should have a proper uniform. Without the implementation of a proper dress code these people are easily mistaken as doctors and are free to move from one place to another,” Kazmi claimed.

“Secondly, the health department should only recruit retired security officials and army personnel as guards,” he added.

Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid assured YDA that measures will be taken to improve security for female staff including passing a protection bill in Punjab Assembly. Only after she had given her word did the association withdraw the strike.

Earlier, hospitals across Punjab were in limbo after YDA boycotted out-patients departments in solidarity with the female doctor who was harassed by a janitor at Sheikh Zayed Hospital.

YDA called off the strike at out-patient departments (OPDs) at public hospitals across the province after a meeting with Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid on Monday.

The YDA delegation, led by Punjab Chairman Dr Haider, briefed the minister about the association’s demands.

The minister assured the delegation that the Punjab government will follow in the footstep of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and introduce a Doctors’ Protection Bill.

“As soon as the consultancy process is completed, the bill will be tabled at Punjab Assembly,” she promised.

During the meeting, it was decided that a special committee will be notified which will submit their recommendations for ensuring doctors’ security at hospitals.

“The health department took immediate action in the wake of the incident at Sheikh Zayed Hospital,” the minister said. She added that the accused was arrested on the spot while the inquiry committee continued to work during Ashura.

She expressed disappointment over the fact that despite taking swift action, YDA disrupted workflow at OPDs by declaring a strike.

It was decided that a special focal person will be appointed to communicate between the health department and YDA.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 25^th, 2018.