Security at hospitals : ‘Police chief not doing enough’

16,000 constables out of 24,000 reserved for Lahore deployed to provide security to retired servants and VVIPs

LAHORE: Young Doctors’ Association (YDA) has accused the capital city police officer (CCPO) of not doing enough to provide security at the nine teaching hospitals in Lahore despite directions from the inspector general of police (IGP). A statement on Sunday said that 16,000 constables out of 24,000 reserved for Lahore had been deployed to provide security to retired servants and VVIPs. YDA office bearers said that only 36 constables were required to provide security to the government hospitals in Lahore, daily visited by more than 25,000 patients and 5,000 doctors. They said it was unfortunate that the Police Department was unable to spare these out of the 8,000 available with them. They regretted that manhandling of female doctors in emergency wards was becoming a routine. The YDA appealed to the chief minister and the IGP to direct the CCPO to provide security at these hospitals.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 5^th,  2011.