Pills and ammo: Lab coat, prescription pad, guns - all part of a doctor’s equipment

Rangers and PMA decide law enforcers will be issued arms licences.

KARACHI: In a meeting between a Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) delegation and Rangers chief Major General Rizwan at the Rangers Headquarters on Wednesday, it was agreed that all doctors will be facilitated to get arms licences for their personal protection.

The doctors will also be allowed to carry their weapons without any legal or administrative hindrance and training will be imparted to them to use their weapons properly.

The delegation - which comprised senior members Dr Tipu Sultan, Dr Idrees Adhi, Dr Aziz Khan Tank, Dr SM Qaisar Sajjad, Dr Qazi M Wasiq and Dr Mirza Ali Azhar  called on Major General Rizwan to discuss the security issues faced by doctors.

Report it

According to another decision made in the meeting, a crime reporting cell will be established at the PMA House by Rangers. The cell will function round the clock and a communication network will be established with the police.

Smaller networks will also be established in different parts of the city and will have direct access to the cell established at the PMA House. These cells will monitor, register and take necessary action regarding any criminal activities against doctors.

The Rangers and police officials also advised doctors to take precautionary measures. They asked doctors to install CCTV cameras at their work place and it was agreed that all these decision will be implemented in a shortest possible time.

Protesting the deaths

“We have no problem with the patients,” said Sajjad, explaining their recent protests. “However, under the circumstances - where we are getting extortion chits and are being murdered at will - we are being forced to close hospitals in protest. The Sindh government will be responsible for any patient that suffers due to this. The government neither condoles nor compensates when a doctor is killed.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 21^st, 2014.