KEMU council rejects appeal of 2 doctors

Harassment of professor

LAHORE

The Academic Council of King Edward Medical University (KEMU) has rejected an appeal to review punishment to two doctors who had harassed a senior professor.

The Academic Council, therefore, upheld the decision to rusticate Dr Inamullah Barki and Dr Umair Rana – both Postgraduate Residents (PGRs) of MS Orthopaedics final year – for abusing and locking up Prof Akmal Laeeq with two consultants and an assistant professor in his office on August 8, 2015, after he refused to approve induction of extra PGRs in his department under pressure. 

The KEMU Vice Chancellor, on the recommendation of Academic Council, had approved the three-year suspension to Dr Inamullah Barki and two-year suspension to Dr Umair Rana along with forfeiture of their entire training of MS Orthopaedics with the sole relief to allow them to apply for postgraduate training program anew after serving their sentence.

As per the proceedings of the 64th meeting of Academic Council, the House was briefed about personal hearing into the appeal before Academic Council regarding review of punishment/penalty awarded to the ex-PGRs. Both ex-PGRs confessed the charges against them. However, they prayed to the House to forgive them for their misconduct and to review the punishment awarded to them.

“The House, after personal hearing, decided that there is no reason for the Academic Council to interfere with the decision under challenge. Nothing by the way of evidence was led to rebut the charges. After personal hearing and by the majority of the vote, Academic Council upholds the decision of Vice Chancellor, KEMU, Lahore, in this regard. Therefore, in the light of above, the appeal is hereby dismissed,” read the minutes of the Academic Council meeting available with The News. 

It is worth mention here that the two doctors had earlier denied the charges during investigation of the matter, which prompted the Academic Council to take strict disciplinary action once the charges were proved. 

The Academic Council says one of the professors has taken a strong stance by showing zero tolerance against any kind of misconduct against senior professors/faculty members to set an example in order to prevent such incidents in future. It will uphold the honour of teachers, protect prestige of the institution and save of image of medical profession. “Had Academic Council shown any leniency then it may have ultimately led to even gun culture in the universities or hospitals,” he said referring to the past incidents of torture of Medical Superintendents of Services Hospital, Lahore, and DHQ Hospital, Gujrat, by the activists of a doctors’ group. 

However, Dr Murtaza Haider, the acting Registrar of KEMU, was approached for official version but he could not be available.