KARACHI: Condemning the incident in which an individual opened fire at a National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) doctor the other day, the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) representatives at a press conference organised on Thursday demanded that the government institute a high-level inquiry into the incident, provide adequate protection to healthcare professionals and award exemplary punishment to the man involved in the “heinous crime”.

The event was held at the PMA House.

“We also demand that the Sindh government and our security agencies take stern notice of this incident and make sure no such case ever happens again,” said PMA-Karachi general secretary Dr Abdul Ghafoor Shoro.

The injured doctor should be provided with the best possible medical care, he added.

Regretting the incident,

Dr Shoro said it had shocked the medical fraternity and questioned how could someone threaten and inflict harm upon health professionals, especially at a time when they had put their lives at risk to save others.

“Doctors are working under tremendous stress these days. It’s not just due to the workload and the Covid-19 risks but also because of the circumstances in which they are compelled to perform their duties.

“For instance, unfavourable working conditions, non-provision of required security measures, scarcity of medicines and above all hostile attitude of patients’ attendants.”

Sharing details of the incident, he said a person reported at the NICVD as a patient on Tuesday and reportedly had an altercation with a doctor over some medicines.

Apparently, Dr Shoro explained, he wanted some medicines of his choice which the doctor refused to provide “as those pills were not required by the patient”.

The following day, he said, the man came to the hospital’s emergency department and asked about the doctor who performed his duties the previous night.

“When the doctor on duty couldn’t give him the required information, he shot at the doctor ... injuring his both legs. The injured doctor is currently under treatment,” he said.

To a question, he said PMA was a patient-friendly organisation and always opposed strikes, protests and agitations. “We believe [in] fighting for our rights in a decent, democratic way. These kinds of [incidents] will push us against the wall.”

Asked about the role of the Sindh Healthcare Commission, Dr Shoro said “the commission is silent. It should have taken immediate notice of the incident.”

In his remarks, Dr Qaiser Sajjad said the fact that an armed man managed to get inside showed how vulnerable healthcare professionals were and the ‘security’ they were being provided existed only in name.

“Attacks on doctors are on the rise. Why can’t doctors be provided the same security being given to government officials?” he asked.

The doctors also expressed concern over the growing trend of self-medication and said the major reason behind this negative tendency was that there was no restriction on using drugs’ trade/brand name.

Only generic names should be allowed on the media, they pointed out, adding that unregulated information about drugs on social media was also contributing to self-medication.

On government’s strategy of smart lockdown, Dr Sajjad said healthcare professionals supported the WHO strategy of complete (across the city) 14-day lockdown.

Published in Dawn, June 19th, 2020