What caused the lawyers attack at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology?

A large group of doctors beat up doctors and hospital staff of the PIC

By Web Desk
December 11, 2019

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LAHORE: A large group of lawyers stormed the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) on Wednesday, beating up lawyers and hospital staff as well as vandalising public property. According to the Punjab Bar Council (PBC) Vice Chairman Shahnawaz Ismail, the attack was a reaction from lawyers to a video that went viral the previous day.

Ismail said that a couple of days ago, the doctors and hospital staff at the PIC beat up a lawyer who had brought his mother to the hospital for treatment.

He said that the health of the lawyer's mother deteriorated as a result of doctors' negligence.

"When we filed a case against those responsible, police didn't arrest anyone," he said."This is only a reaction to the video that went viral yesterday and doctors are responsible for the clash that took place."

Ismail was referring to the video of a doctor who was saying that when a group of lawyers went to the secretariat and also requested the Punjab IG to register cases against doctors, they were told that nothing could be done about it.

The video ends with the doctor making fun of lawyers and talking about how they were beaten up.

PIC Chief Executive Dr Saqib Shafi said that the hospital staff couldn't protect themselves against the lawyers. He demanded additional security for doctors and the hospital staff.

The doctors and lawyers clash that took place last month

On November 24, a lawyer named Azeem Sindhu had his mother admitted to the PIC. While his mother was being treated, lawyers accused the PIC doctors of negligence. A scuffle broke out between a group of lawyers and doctors in the hospital resulting in both parties registering cases against each other.

The next day, doctors protested against lawyers and staged a dharna at Jail Road. The Grand Health Alliance also took part in the sit-in protest. On the other hand, lawyers protested by staging a dharna of their own at the civil secretariat outside the office of the chief secretary.

Two PIC employees were arrested on Tuesday due to which doctors protested. The lawyers blamed police for not taking action against doctors and protested today as a result. During the protest, they stormed the emergency ward of the hospital.

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