Siraj vows to raise issues of medical professionals at every forum

Censuring the federal government for ignoring the services and sacrifices of health care workers during the Covid-19 pandemic in Pakistan, Jamaat-e-Islami chief Sirajul Haq on Friday paid tribute to gastroenterologist Dr Saad Khalid Niaz for returning his Tamgha-e-Imtiaz to the president for overlooking the services of the medical fraternity.

“The Jamaat-e-Islami is deeply saddened by the attitude of the federal government for disregarding the services of health care workers and professionals who sacrificed their lives during the pandemic,” the JI chief told Dr Niaz at the latter’s residence in Karachi.

“We support the stance of Dr Saad Khalid Niaz, who has returned his Tamgha-e-Imtiaz in protest against the government’s ill-treatment of his colleagues,” said Haq, who had called on Dr Niaz, along with JI Karachi chief Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman.

Haq said that his party will raise the issues of health care workers, who are doing their jobs in pathetic conditions, at every relevant forum, adding that the sacrifices and services of health care professionals cannot be ignored in these testing times.

Dr Niaz, a renowned gastroenterologist and hepatologist, has returned his civil award to the Government of Pakistan for its failure to honour the services and dedication of health care workers and professionals, many of whom laid down their lives to serve the ailing humanity during the Covid-19 emergency in the country.

President Dr Arif Alvi had announced the Pakistan Civil Awards for 126 meritorious people, including foreign nationals, in recognition of their services in different fields of life on August 14, but there were only two medical professionals on the list whose names had been forwarded from Sindh.

Dr Niaz, who had also been awarded Sitara-e-Imtiaz in 2013 by then president Asif Ali Zardari for his services in the field of advanced gastroenterology, had announced giving up his civil award in protest.

“If the health care professionals, workers and scientists who served tirelessly during the pandemic and even sacrificed their lives are not honoured, I have no other choice left but to return my civil award to the government,” he had said.

Talking to the JI chief, Dr Niaz said that over 200 health care professionals, including doctors, nurses and paramedics, have lost their lives during the past 18 months while serving Covid-19 patients but nobody has cared enough to recognise their services for the country and the suffering humanity.

He said that civil awards should be conferred on deserving people, adding that there are no people more deserving than infectious diseases’ experts, pulmonologists, medical scientists and technicians, who risk their lives by working in highly critical environments and serve when even personal protective equipment is not available to them.

He also pointed out that there are gynaecologists who operate on Covid-positive pregnant women to save their lives as well as their babies’ while risking their own lives. He lamented that their services have also been ignored by the authorities.