Hindu doctor from Swabi who served with devotion dies of Covid-19

SWABI: A Hindu doctor, Phag Chand, who served the patients with devotion, died due to Covid-19 on Monday.The deceased was a medical specialist who had served the people of Swabi and Buner districts with dedication and earned their respect.

Phag Chand did his MBBS from Khyber Medical College, Peshawar in 1980. He was a gold medalist. He later got a job at the Civil Hospital in Totali in Buner. Upon his subsequent transfer to the District Headquarters Hospital, Swabi, he stayed and worked there for two decades. A few years back, he was transferred to the District Headquarters Hospital, Nowshera and retired from there. However, he ran his clinic in Swabi.

Although he was a Hindu, he served the people in Swabi and Buner without any discrimination. He was forever ready to serve the ailing people. This correspondent had seen several times that people would gather around him in the bazaar or markets and seek his advice about their health problems. He would willingly prescribe medicines to them on the spot. “He enjoyed respect among the people and the patients trusted him,’’ said Muhammad Farooq belonging to Palodand village. It was his humanistic approach when the famous gang rape case occurred in District Headquarters Hospital Swabi a few years back and protests were staged in the district to demand justice for the victim.

One of the demands of the protesters from the government was to transfer all the staff from the hospital except Dr Phag Chand. They had no complaint against him and wanted him to stay. Dr Phag Chand set up his clinic in a medical centre in Swabi and charged Rs50 fee from patient. This correspondent knew that the other doctors were not happy that he was charging Rs50.

Shaukat Ali Anjum, a leader of Pakistan Workers Federation, said whenever they sent poor workers for treatment to Dr Phag Chand, he did not charge them fee from and gave them free medicines. At his clinic, the majority of other poor patients were also given free medicines and Dr Phag Chand took pain to guide them. When his coronavirus test came back positive, he isolated himself in his house and later shifted to Islamabad. He passed away on Monday.

People said that he worked for humanity without caring for his personal interest and treated people without any discrimination. “Although he has passed away and is no longer among us but his deeds would keep him alive. His only objective was to serve humanity,’’ said Jalil Ahmad Khan, one of his friends. He is survived by a widow and two sons and a daughter, who are all doctors, to mourn his death.