The dearth of woman medico-legal officers (WMLOs) and medico-legal officers (MLOs) in Chandka Medical College Hospital has adversely impacted the hospital’s medico-legal work.
The Health Department has been constantly approached and informed about the non-availability of doctors, but those attempts have drawn a blank.
Even the posts of chief CMO and police surgeon, both of BS-20, are lying vacant since the past year. All the lady doctors of BS-17 have to perform 15-day medico-legal duty on their turn while a few influential doctors have got this duty waived off through the Health Department.
One lady doctor, who is FCPS and working in the Surgical ICU, was also forced to work as WMLO in place of a lady doctor who was relieved of the task by the health secretary. A BS-19 doctor, Munir Shaikh, is working as the MLO which is a post of BS-17 which too is beyond anyone’s imagination as to how he has been posted.
Dr Badar Shaikh and Dr Salim Shaikh, both SMOs of BS-18, have also been detailed to work as MLOs whereas their assistant police surgeon is working in BS-17. According to sources, there are four sanctioned posts of MLOs (BS-17) where only one doctor is posted while three posts are vacant. Also, there is no sanctioned post of WMLO so all lady doctors are forced to perform on half-monthly rotation duty on their turn.
These lady doctors are not trained and are unaware of medico-legal work and totally rely on their male counterparts.