The doctors in the city have lost faith in the government’s security measures and have requested the target killers to spare them.
Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Sindh president Dr Samrina Hashmi made the request claiming that target killers seem to roam around the city at will. “Targeting doctors is easy,” she said. “They can be readily identified and killed.”
Members of PMA Sindh, Pakistan Paramedical Association, Sindh Doctors Welfare Association, Pakistan Nursing Association, Peoples Paramedical Association and Sindh Paramedical Association gathered at Lyari General Hospital on Tuesday to condemn the killing of the hospital’s resident medical officer, Dr Nisar Sehto, on Monday. He was shot dead allegedly by two men who came to his clinic disguised as patients.
The police initially claimed that the doctor might have been killed over personal enmity Dr Hashmi suggested that the attack might be related to extortion. “There is a general perception that doctors earn a lot of money, and that has led criminals to demand extortion,” she said. “The problem is that when you give [protection] money to one group, the other comes knocking at your door.” Pakistan Islamic Medical Association spokesperson Dr Zeeshan Ansari said adding that Sehto’s murder was proof of the insecurity faced by doctors in Karachi.
Dr Hashmi added that doctors recognise the fact that clinics are spread all over the city and that providing adequate security to each of them was not an easy job.
According to the medical association, over 2,000 doctors are planning to leave the country due to the deteriorating law and order situation. Another 4,000 health professionals had emigrated from the country last year, an official claimed, adding that over 100 doctors have been killed in the past few years.
The officials also announced that hospitals across the province will observe one-hour strikes, from 10 am to 11 am, for the next three days. If the government fails to arrest the culprits, then they will eventually close down all the hospitals.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 14th, 2012.
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Government should cancel all licencses issued and if needed only shotgun should be allowed as it is long and difficult to conceal.
Government should lift licensing of arms because the target killers have arms any ways.Its the innocent law abiding citizens who cant get arms license easily.Arm the peaceful citizens and crime will go away.The police and rangers cant protect us.They are playing an investigative role rather than protective.The idea might sound absurd but I am sure it will work.Why is there no target killing in tribal areas?. Because they are all armed to protect them self.