Severely burnt lecturer of AMC succumbs to injuries

Colleagues, students and faculty express grief on the demise of Dr Tariq

ABBOTTABAD: In what can be described as an extremely tragic incident, a lecturer of Ayub Medical College Abbottabad, who suffered severe burn injuries a few days back, succumbed to her burns at CMH Kharian

Dr. Mahwish Tariq was serving as a lecturer in the Anatomy Department of Ayub Medical College for the last five ears.

Last week she suffered an epileptic fit in her room at the hospital, as a result of which she fell on the gas heater and was severely burnt.

She was provided initial treatment at the hospital but later shifted to the burns unit at CMH in Khariaan.

Dr Tariq sustained 60% burns on her body and was critical and passed away a day ago.

Recalling her time with her colleague associate professor of anatomy Dr Fatima Shirie said that they had tea together just 15 minutes before the incident.

Dr Tariq was so happy as she had submitted her MPhil thesis that day. After tea, I along with other colleagues went out to take classes and she went to prepare for her lecture for the next class and within ten minutes this sad incident happened.

It was so unbelievable for us and left the teachers as well as students in utter shock and disbelief.

She further told that they all had a very good time with Dr Mahwish in the five years that she worked there. She was way too polite and held strong moral values. She has left behind a seven-year-old daughter and two sons nine and ten years old.

Dean Umer Farooq said “ we all are sorry about this loss, our prayers are with her and her family. She was a dynamic personality loved and admired by her students and will always be remembered by her colleagues.

He said that he would make all out efforts to provide a safe and secure environment to students and teachers of this medical college. Hospital Director Dr Athar Lodhi expressed his profound grief over the sad demise of Dr Tariq and said that I am very saddened to hear of this loss. We will try our best to upgrade the burns unit at Ayub Teaching Hospital so that it can provide all adequate facilities to  burn patients. Ayub Teaching Hospital has a 20 bed burn unit but it has the capacity to treat only 30 to 40 % burn injuries. There is a need to establish a burn unit with full facilities in the province, especially in Hazara division.

Medical Director Dr Ahsan Aurangzeb said in his condolences message that he was deeply saddened to hear of the loss of a precious life. It is very sad that we do not have a proper burn unit in the whole province nor do we have a plastic surgeon in the whole Hazara division. The services of a plastic surgeon are crucial in a burn unit and I am going to make all efforts along with the board of governors for the induction of a full-time plastic surgeon at ATH.

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