PMA demands restoration of professors

LAHORE

The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has flayed the Punjab government for allegedly victimising senior professors and a medical superintendent on the pretext of alleged negligence which led to the death of a female patient on floor at Jinnah Hospital a few days ago.

The government had suspended Prof Dr Jawad Zaheer and Prof Dr Tanveer-ul-Islam from Lahore General Hospital and Prof Dr Zafar Iqbal, Medical Superintendent of Jinnah Hospital, in the wake of the death of the patient, Zohra Bibi, 65, from Kasur. According to a press release on Thursday, newly-elected president Prof Dr Ajmal Hasan Naqvi, General Secretary Dr Wajid Ali, Dr Riaz Zulqernain, Dr Iram Shahzadi and others demanded of the government to immediately revert its decision and restore the senior professors on their positions with honour and dignity. He said healthcare facilities were insufficient in the province whereas hospitals in Lahore were not able to cater to the load of patients in the city having an approximate population of 12.5 million in addition to the thrust of patients from all districts of Punjab. He stressed the need to establish at least six more hospitals in Lahore to cater to the load of patients.  “If the government will not withdraw its decisions, the PMA will announce its strategy to defend the medical community within one week after taking all the stakeholders into confidence,” he warned, but made it clear that PMA being a responsible professional organization would never go for a strike in hospitals.

To a question about Jinnah Hospital’s MS’s closed doors policy, Dr Ajmal Naqvi said PMA would never back any delinquents in duty, saying all administrative officials must have an open door policy to facilitate the patients and their relatives to ensure quality healthcare services to the patients in their respective hospitals.