All CMH Rawalakot doctors resign after arrest of colleagues in murder case

RAWALAKOT: All doctors serving at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Rawalakot have resigned from their positions and have refused to treat patients, even at their private clinics, after two doctors from the hospital were arrested in connection with the death of a patient during treatment.

The arrested individuals — Dr Amna Nawaz, Dr Amarzish Liaquat, and a nurse named Aneesa Asheer — were taken into custody from the court premises after rejection of their pre-arrest bail pleas in the Fiza Khursheed murder case.

What We Know About the Fiza Khursheed Case

Seventeen-year-old Fiza Khursheed, a resident of Koiyan village, died at CMH Rawalakot in September 2024.

According to her family, Fiza died due to alleged medical negligence by CMH doctors, who reportedly administered the wrong injections, resulting in her sudden death during treatment.

The incident sparked widespread protests, prompting the formation of an inquiry committee.

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Although a First Information Report (FIR) was registered at Rawalakot Police Station, no immediate action was taken against the hospital staff.

Subsequently, the victim’s legal counsel filed an application under Section 22-A with the Rawalakot Sessions Court, challenging police inaction in arresting the accused.

In response, Sessions Judge Yousaf Haroon ordered Rawalakot Police to arrest the accused doctors and paramedical staff within one week or face legal action themselves.

The court also directed that additional CMH staff mentioned in Nurse Aneesa Asheer’s sworn statement — submitted to the inquiry committee — be formally nominated in the case.

Doctors’ Alleged Negligence and Nurse’s Confession

In her statement, Nurse Aneesa claimed that neither she nor any other nurse at CMH Rawalakot was authorized to administer injections or medications without a doctor’s approval.

She alleged that Fiza was administered Solu-Cortef and Dormicum injections on the instructions of a house officer, not a senior physician. “When the patient’s condition deteriorated, I asked the house officer to call a senior doctor. However, Dr Tayyaba said there was no need — the patient was stable,” Aneesa stated.

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The nurse added that due to the worsening condition of the patient, she called DMO Dr Tehmina from her room, while former commander Brigadier Ayub sent Major Mohsin to the emergency room to manage the patient’s family, who were growing increasingly agitated. Major Mohsin remained present until the patient was placed on a ventilator, she said.  

She further alleged that Dr Nadeem, who was the civilian on call, along with other medical specialists, were never summoned to assess or treat the critically unstable patient.

Aneesa went on to claim that similar incidents were not uncommon in CMH Rawalakot’s emergency department, where seriously ill patients were often neglected by senior doctors, and nurses were pressured to follow the instructions of house officers.

She also criticized the hospital for not adhering to standard operating procedures and for the lack of documentation — noting that treatment sheets were often unsigned and unstamped.

What Locals Say About the Doctors’ Resignation

CMH Rawalakot, according to locals, has a reputation for medical negligence and improper treatment. Fiza’s case is not the first to provoke public outrage. Several similar cases have emerged in recent years.

A civil society-led sit-in is currently ongoing in Rawalakot, demanding upgrades to the hospital, increased staffing, and the provision of essential diagnostic facilities such as MRI and CT scan machines.

The news of the CMH doctors’ mass resignation spread rapidly and went viral on social media. Many locals took to Facebook to express their anger toward the CMH staff.

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A review of posts and comments revealed unanimous public condemnation. No social media users appeared to defend the doctors; instead, the majority demanded that the CMH administration immediately accept their resignations, branding the doctors as “murderers in white coats.”

Netizens also criticized the doctors’ strike, calling it a deliberate attempt to pressure the judiciary. Some labelled them a “pressure group” trying to influence legal proceedings in their favour.

Doctors’ Response to the Arrests

Meanwhile, CMH Rawalakot doctors condemned the arrests, calling them a “malicious attempt to malign the medical community.”

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In a press conference, they accused the judiciary of showing bias toward the victim’s family, arguing that the case was still under investigation by an inquiry committee.

The doctors claimed that the arrests were premature, made under the pressure mounted by lawyers and protestors.