Showing concerns over the acute shortage of medico-legal officers (MLOs) in Karachi’s major state-run hospitals, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Karachi President Khurrum Sher Zaman has demanded that the Sindh government should immediately fill all vacant positions.
“It is still shocking to discover that out of 70 posts of MLOs, which have been sanctioned by the Sindh government for nine Karachi hospitals, only 29 medical-legal officers are currently working at these hospitals,” said Zaman, who is also an MPA from PS-110.
“This appalling situation has been going on for years. Again, this is another indication of the Pakistan People Party-led Sindh government’s neglect of the needs of Karachi.”
Zaman pointed out that only three of the nine Karachi hospitals had fully functional medico-legal facilities and morgues.
He also showed concerns of a shortage of women medico-legal officers in Karachi’s major hospitals, about which, he said, women rights and civil society groups complained that the shortage of MLOs had been affecting a number of cases of gender-based violence, including domestic violence, rape, kidnapping and murder.
“The shortage of women MLOs is also unacceptable, as there are only four female officers currently employed, while the total requirement for Karachi is nine female medico-legal officers,” Zaman said.
The PTI MPA highlighted the importance of MLOs when it comes to the criminal justice system in Pakistan in terms of the investigation process, as they conduct autopsies and examine victims of violent crimes such as rape in order to aid the court and prosecution during trials.
“Given the rising incidents of various crimes in Karachi on a daily basis, the work of MLOs becomes that more important, but sadly the lethargy of the Sindh government to address this serious matter seems to be growing.”
The PTI leader demanded that the chief minister, the health minister and the home minister should immediately fill all the vacancies of MLOs in Karachi, especially female officers, and should also ensure fully functional MLO facilities and morgues in all hospitals of the city.
