Lahore General Hospital: Doctors, nurses and medics demand greater security

Relatives of patient ransacked emergency ward after patient's death.


Our Correspondent October 08, 2012

LAHORE: Doctors, nurses and paramedics at the Lahore General Hospital have demanded greater security, a day after the relatives of a patient ransacked the emergency ward, beat up staff, damaged equipment and tore up hospital records.

Post Graduate Medical Institute (PGMI) Medical Teachers Association General Secretary Dr Afsar Ali Bhatti said that relatives of patients must remember that staff at the hospital were striving to save lives, not end them. He said that a patient’s attendants should be patient and cooperate with staff. He demanded that the police post at least 12 officers including a sub inspector to the LGH police post.

The Paramedical Staff Association, in an emergency meeting chaired by Rahmat Sandhu on Sunday, condemned the ransacking of the ward. The association demanded that the inspector general of police, the capital city police officer and the deputy inspector general for operations take note of the incident and improve security at the hospital.

Meanwhile, a delegation of nurses met with the hospital administration and expressed concern over “increasing incidents of indecency and intolerance” on the part of the families of patients. The LGH chief executive told them that “comprehensive security arrangements” would be made at the hospital and also at hostels.

A Lahore General Hospital spokesman said that 25-year-old Naureen, a resident of Kacha Jail Road in Kot Lakhpat, was brought to the emergency ward on Saturday afternoon in an unconscious condition. “The doctors and staff on duty immediately started her treatment but she died,” he said.

Relatives of the deceased then became violent, breaking windows, tearing up documents, damaging machinery and beating up staff. PGMI Principal Prof Anjam Habib Vohra contacted the Model Town superintendent of police. The police arrived in about 45 minutes and cleared the ward of the vandals.

The spokesman said that the principal had set up a four-member committee of Prof Ghiasun Nabi Tayyab, Prof Syed Ali Haider, Dr Tanveer Anwar and Additional Medical Superintendent Dr Ziaullah Cheema to look into the incident.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 8th, 2012.

 

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