NICH doctors boycott OPD

They were protesting the beating NICH ICU Head received at the hands of indentified persons

KARACHI: Protesting the beating a doctor at the National Institute of Children's Health (NICH) received at the hands of unidentified persons, healthcare professionals boycotted their duties at the facilities Outpatient Department on Tuesday, causing incovenience for the patients, visiting the hospital from Karachi and the rest of the province.

Meanwhile, citizens awaiting medical assistance for their children at the hospital's OPD claimed to have been waiting since early morning.

According to the protesting doctors, the head of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at NICH, Dr Murtaza, had been attacked by unidentified men on the hospital premises on Monday.

They said that the attackers didn't ask for any clarifications and didn't give a reason for beating Dr Murtaza.

The doctors said that the beating came after a a girl, who had been brought to the hospital on Friday, was not given the required treatment as all the ventilators were occupied at the time and complained, "the hospitals security arrangement had failed."

They appealed to NICH Executive Director Dr Jamal Raza to take this matter to the Sindh government, demanding that Rangers and police officials be placed outside the hospital, its emergency ward and other sensitive departments, adding that they would continue to protest if their demands were not met.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 29^th, 2020.