Twin scuffles erupt after doctor makes ‘snide’ remark
PIMS executive director orders inquiry.
“I did not manhandle the female attendant, though I used a slang word, for which I apologised.” says Dr Haq.
ISLAMABAD:
Two scuffles broke out one after the other at the main emergency ward of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) late Thursday night after an altercation between doctors and attendants.
“My wife was suffering from an acute stomachache and despite running from pillar to post, requesting every doctor to attend to her, nobody bothered. Doctors kept on referring us to other departments,” said Mohammad Ghalib, an attendant at the centre of the brawl, while talking to The Express Tribune. Ghalib had brought his wife Kausar Bibi and his sister Haleema Bibi from Murree.
Ghalib said they reached to the main emergency ward of the hospital around 10.30pm, and were unattended for half an hour. When he requested the emergency ward staff to help them, one of the doctors referred them to the gynaecology ward.
When they reached the gynaecology ward, his wife was referred to the surgical ward,” he said. Ghalib and Haleema Bibi said when they took Kausar Bibi to the surgical ward, Dr Usmanul Haq instead of attending to her, sarcastically asked Kausar Bibi, “Should I insert a tube or inject a drip?” This led to a scuffle between Ghalib and the doctors on duty.
According to Haleema Bibi when the doctors started beating up Ghalib she tried to protect him but one of the doctors slapped her and knocked her down on the floor. Dr Haq threatened to shoot us with a pistol he said he was carrying, she said. Later, security in-charge, Safdar dragged Ghalib downstairs.
One of the eyewitnesses, Anwar said when he saw the women screaming, he inquired about the incident. Safdar grabbed my cousin Izhar Abbasi and started beating him up, accusing of helping Ghalib escape, he added. The Express Tribune tried to contact Safdar, but he refused to talk. The second scuffle was resolved by patients.
Meanwhile Ghalib called the police who reached there after the issue had been settled. Shafqat Mehmmod, inspector at Margalla Police Station said, “It was not a big incident; when we reached there it was over.”
When contacted, Dr Haq, for whom Thursday was his first working day at Pims, said, “I did not manhandle the female attendant, though I used a slang word, for which I apologised.”
He said Ghalib along with his wife came to his department and complained that she was suffering from a urological problem.When I was heading towards the emergency ward, Ghalib and the patient were in the corridor and they misbehaved with me, he added. Dr Usman said one of the doctors threatened to shoot Ghalib and his family, but it wasn’t him.
Dr Waseem Khawaja, offical spokesperson for Pims, said the executive director had ordered an inquiry into the incident.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 2nd, 2013.
Two scuffles broke out one after the other at the main emergency ward of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) late Thursday night after an altercation between doctors and attendants.
“My wife was suffering from an acute stomachache and despite running from pillar to post, requesting every doctor to attend to her, nobody bothered. Doctors kept on referring us to other departments,” said Mohammad Ghalib, an attendant at the centre of the brawl, while talking to The Express Tribune. Ghalib had brought his wife Kausar Bibi and his sister Haleema Bibi from Murree.
Ghalib said they reached to the main emergency ward of the hospital around 10.30pm, and were unattended for half an hour. When he requested the emergency ward staff to help them, one of the doctors referred them to the gynaecology ward.
When they reached the gynaecology ward, his wife was referred to the surgical ward,” he said. Ghalib and Haleema Bibi said when they took Kausar Bibi to the surgical ward, Dr Usmanul Haq instead of attending to her, sarcastically asked Kausar Bibi, “Should I insert a tube or inject a drip?” This led to a scuffle between Ghalib and the doctors on duty.
According to Haleema Bibi when the doctors started beating up Ghalib she tried to protect him but one of the doctors slapped her and knocked her down on the floor. Dr Haq threatened to shoot us with a pistol he said he was carrying, she said. Later, security in-charge, Safdar dragged Ghalib downstairs.
One of the eyewitnesses, Anwar said when he saw the women screaming, he inquired about the incident. Safdar grabbed my cousin Izhar Abbasi and started beating him up, accusing of helping Ghalib escape, he added. The Express Tribune tried to contact Safdar, but he refused to talk. The second scuffle was resolved by patients.
Meanwhile Ghalib called the police who reached there after the issue had been settled. Shafqat Mehmmod, inspector at Margalla Police Station said, “It was not a big incident; when we reached there it was over.”
When contacted, Dr Haq, for whom Thursday was his first working day at Pims, said, “I did not manhandle the female attendant, though I used a slang word, for which I apologised.”
He said Ghalib along with his wife came to his department and complained that she was suffering from a urological problem.When I was heading towards the emergency ward, Ghalib and the patient were in the corridor and they misbehaved with me, he added. Dr Usman said one of the doctors threatened to shoot Ghalib and his family, but it wasn’t him.
Dr Waseem Khawaja, offical spokesperson for Pims, said the executive director had ordered an inquiry into the incident.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 2nd, 2013.