PIC Emergency Ward reopens after renovation

LAHORE: The Emergency Ward of the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC), Lahore, has been reopened after necessary renovations. Patients and their families heaved a sigh of relief as the ward resumed functioning on Friday after remaining closed for two days due to damages inflicted in the lawyers attack on the hospital on December 11.

“The PIC administration, doctors, nurses and medical staff are determined to work with greater devotion to provide treatment to cardiac patients,” said Prof Dr Saqib Shafi, head of PIC, while speaking at a news conference along with the leadership of the Grand Health Alliance (GHA) at the PIC on Friday.

Earlier, doctors and other medical staff observed a second day of mourning due to loss of three lives as a result of the lawyers attack. The doctors, nurses, paramedical staff and others arranged a candle-lit vigil in solidarity with the families of the victims. Doctors in all hospitals observed a black day and worked while wearing black armbands in solidarity with their PIC colleagues.

The GHA leadership has announced that doctors would neither provide treatment nor issue MLC to injured lawyers in the Mayo Hospital. “Doctors and other staff would not visit such patients apprehended in jails,” said Dr Salman Haseeb Chaudhry, chairman of Grand Health Alliance, and warned that if the government tried to pressurize the doctors to comply with such orders, the entire medical community would bring the entire system to a standstill all over the province.

Dr Salman condemned the government for not taking action against the lawyers involved in the attack on the PIC despite a lapse of two days. “It has encouraged the lawyers who had also taken the law into their own hands in Karachi and Pasroor,” he said, adding that the GHA had shown restraint so far. If the government does not take practical steps to bring the culprits to justice, doctors would announce their strategy on Monday.

The hospital administration has released a second report of damage assessment worth Rs 27.875 million in addition to an earlier report of an estimated loss of Rs 70 million. The report says that as many as 39 items have been identified as at least 294 items have been destroyed/vanished from the Emergency Ward alone. These items included nebulizers, plastic chairs, blankets, pillows, beds, dispenser bottles, while cardiac monitors, echocardiography machines and 40 items of medical equipment were damaged.

Earlier in the day, the Emergency Wards, Out-Patients Department (OPD), indoor wards and other departments remained dysfunctional. In normal circumstances, as many as 2,500 patients visit the Outdoor Ward of the PIC daily. Besides, over 2,000 patients received one month’s medicines from the hospital pharmacy every day, and such destitute people coming from far-off districts were forced to buy their medicines from the open market.

The Academic Council of the Services Hospital/SIMS has condemned the lawyers attack on the PIC, while demanding a trial of all those involved under murder and terrorism charges. Joining voice with its Academic Council, the Medical Teachers Association of the SHL/SIMS also demanded provision of security to doctors and medical staff in hospitals.