Doctors being humiliated and killed despite saving lives, offering free care

Islamabad:Despite saving lives and providing free treatment worth hundreds of millions of rupees on a daily basis, doctors in Pakistan are regularly beaten, tortured, humiliated, and even killed for being perceived as soft targets under the pretext of medical negligence and errors, senior healthcare providers said on Sunday.

Addressing the first biennial convention of the Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA) North Punjab at the Faisal Mosque auditorium, senior healthcare professionals decried the worsening conditions for doctors in Pakistan, who they said are being vilified in the name of negligence despite their relentless service to society.

“Physicians, surgeons and healthcare providers contribute over Rs250 million in free healthcare daily—treating patients without charging fees and often providing medicines from their own pockets—yet they are subjected to character assassination, abuse, and violence,” said Prof. Atif Hafeez Siddiqui, President of PIMA.

He said doctors, despite being one of the most educated and hardworking segments of society, are portrayed as villains, blamed for systemic failures, and punished for mistakes they have not committed. “They work long hours in difficult conditions, often for meagre salaries in government hospitals, yet the nation turns on them at every opportunity,” Prof. Siddiqui said.

He cited a recent example of a charity hospital in Malir, Karachi, where a critically ill woman was brought in and given immediate first aid before being referred to a tertiary care hospital. Tragically, she died en route, prompting local residents and alleged gang members to vandalize the hospital, which is run by the family of respected physician Prof. Tipu Sultan. “This is how messiahs are treated in our society—those offering free services to the poor are punished for trying to help,” he remarked.

Hundreds of doctors from across North Punjab attended the day-long convention, the first since the bifurcation of PIMA Punjab into regional chapters. During the event, Dr. Fazle Rabbi was elected as President of PIMA Islamabad.

One of the highlights of the convention was that it was organized without any financial support or sponsorship from pharmaceutical companies, and no stalls or advertisements were allowed—an ethical stance praised by the attending professionals.

Prof. Siddiqui criticized the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) for allowing low-performing students into medical colleges through donations. “In no decent country can a student with 50 percent marks buy admission into medical school. What kind of doctors will they become?” he asked.

He maintained that the burden of a failing system was falling hardest on sincere doctors, while suicide rates among medical students were rising due to academic stress and lack of support. He also said the Young Doctors Association (YDA) was a product of continued injustices against young physicians. “When a society treats its doctors with such disrespect, it creates frustration. And when some of those doctors behave like the society they come from, they are branded as criminals,” he noted.

Dr. Iftikhar Burney, President of PIMA North Punjab, delivered a keynote address on medical ethics, condemning the practice of taking commissions from diagnostic labs or referring patients to private hospitals for profit. “Such practices are haram in Islam and unethical by global standards,” he said. Citing Islamic teachings, he declared that unnecessary tests, fake medical certificates, and delegating surgeries to juniors while charging fees under one's own name were all forbidden.

Guest speaker Dr. Babar Saeed Khan commended the organizers for hosting an ethical event and warned that increasing violence against doctors in Punjab could trigger serious consequences for public health.

Dr. Abbas Chaudhry, a joint member of PIMA and PMA, strongly criticized the Punjab government, accusing it of systematically humiliating doctors and handing over health administration to bureaucrats. “Now bureaucracy runs healthcare, and they treat even senior doctors like clerks while blaming them for every shortfall,” he said.

Prof. Hafiz Aijaz Ahmed, renowned nephrologist and former Dean of PKLI Lahore, delivered a scientific keynote on Acute Kidney Injury, urging early diagnosis and timely intervention to prevent unnecessary loss of life.