Arrests of Sahiwal doctors: Lahore, Rawalpindi govt hospitals OPDs shut down

RAWALPINDI: In protest against arrests of senior doctors on the orders of Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz, the Out Patients Departments (OPDs) of all public sector hospitals of Rawalpindi and Lahore have been shut down on the call of the Young Doctors Association (YDA).

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had dismissed four senior doctors, including the medical superintendent (MS), from service for negligence and ordered their arrest during her visit to the hospital on Friday.

She was at the hospital to take stock of the situation after the death of 11 infants, most them newborns, in the fire incident in the paediatric ward of the hospital on June 9. The fire had broken out due to a short circuit in the air-conditioning system of the ward.

The teaching hospital’s doctors who faced the CM’s wrath were the hospital’s MS Akhter Hussain, Deputy MS Dr Usman Anwar, Assistant MS Dr Umer and Sahiwal Medical College Principal Prof Dr Imran Hasan.

In protest of the arrests, the OPDs of Lahore hospitals namely General Hospital, Mayo Hospital, Jinnah Hospital, Services Hospital, and Ganga Ram Hospital are also shut down and staff has gone on strike.

The OPD of Sheikh Zayed, a federal government hospital, is also affected by the strike.

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Services at Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC), Lady Willingdon Hospital, and Lady Aitchison Hospital have also been halted.

Similarly on the call of YDA, a complete strike has been initiated in government hospitals across Rawalpindi.

Services at Holy Family Hospital, Benazir Bhutto Hospital, and District Headquarters Hospital are suspended, affecting both indoor and outpatient departments.

With the closure of OPDs and other wards, patients are facing significant difficulties.

The Young Doctors Association (YDA) Punjab President Dr. Shoaib Niazi has said that the Chief Minister had senior faculty members, including principals, handcuffed, which is a disgrace to our community.

Dr. Shoaib Niazi commented, “The entire doctors’ community has been disrespected.”