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Tuesday March 19, 2024

PIMS strike allegedly takes a life

By our correspondents
October 18, 2017

Islamabad: While the token strike for separation of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) from the Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU) continued for the 16th consecutive day, the alleged negligence of doctors took the life of 27 year-old Umar Aftab who, family sources claim, was denied medical treatment because of the ongoing strike.

Umar, a resident of Shakrial, was brought to PIMS at around 11.30 a.m. on Monday for treatment of a massive blood clot, and even though the three-hour token strike had ended at 11 a.m., the boy was denied treatment on the pretext of doctors being on strike. The clot is stated to have caused a cardiac arrest.

Family sources alleged that one Dr. Naila refused to check Umer on account of withdrawal of services due to the strike, and referred them to Dr. Rizwan. “When I asked her to write the doctor’s full name of a piece of paper, she retorted: ‘I am not a kid; I will not do as you ask,’ family sources told the media.

Dejected, the family took their son back home, only to return to the hospital once again at 3 a.m. due to his deteriorating condition. “Not a single doctor was available to examine our only son. Two compounders examined him and declared him dead,” the family alleged. Umar had, by then, lost the battle.

Meanwhile, responding to the incident, the Minister for Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) Dr. Tariq Faal Chaudhry urged the media not to link Umar’s death with negligence. “Not a single day during the strike has the emergency of PIMS remained closed. In fact, the strike has been scaled down to a three-hour token protest only.”

Dr. Tariq added: “If the death has actually occurred because of doctors’ negligence, then investigations will be held and strict disciplinary action will be taken against those held accountable. “An inquiry committee has been constituted with Dr. Iqbal Memon, Dr. Ejaz Qadeer, Dr. Rizwan Qazi and Dr. Naeem Malik as its members. The committee has been asked to investigate into the cause of death and to submit its findings within the next 24 hours,” the Vice Chancellor of SZABMU Prof. Dr. Javed Akram informed. However, the way matters are handled at PIMS, even a layman can predict the findings of the committee.

Earlier on, Dr. Tariq said in fury: “Right from Day 1, I have been saying that doctors are following the wrong path. Instead of withdrawing patient services, they should lock down my office instead as a mark of protest.”

Expressing his views on the separation of PIMS from SZABMU, Dr. Tariq said, “We will only segregate the administrations of the two institutions so that the civil servant rights of PIMS employees are restored. The medical university and PIMS will continue to work together and function as before. Those attached with SZABMU will not suffer in any way.”

Meanwhile, the All Employees’ Movement for Restoration of PIMS will unveil its future plans today (Wednesday) on expiry of the week-long deadline given to the government for resolution of the PIMS-SZABMU crisis.