Caregivers turn violent: Mayo Hospital doctors fired for thrashing patients

• YDA Chairman Dr Shaharyar Niazi, member Dr Mazhar Rafique pummeled patient who complained of being ignored
• YDA announces protest after accused doctors are terminated by the SHC & MED

The Punjab government has terminated two doctors for severely beating a patient and his attendant.

The Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department (SHC & MED) of Punjab government took said action against the two doctors who practiced at Mayo Hospital barring them from continuing their post graduate training at the hospital. According to the details, secretary SHC & MED Najam Ahmed Shah issued a notification barring both the doctors from performing their duties as they were found guilty of beating a patient and his attendant.

The incident surfaced on October 15 in the East Surgical Ward of Mayo Hospital. Dr Shaharyar Niazi-the chairman of Young Doctors Association (YDA) of the hospital, was accused of beating the patient up. According to eye witnesses of the tragic episode, a patient named Waqar Amin complained of being ignored repeatedly. This annoyed the doctor on duty, Shaharyar Niazi, who proceeded to beat the patient. As a result, Waqas Amin, the brother of the patient, filed a complaint in the office of Deputy Medical Superintendent (DMS) Dr Niazi entered the scene, forced entry into the DMS office with members of YDA and again beat the patient up along with his brother. Both were taken to the police check post of the hospital where the patient was locked up before the arrival of police.

A three-member fact finding committee was formed the very next day to probe the incident and Vice Chancellor University of Health Sciences (UHS) was made the convener of the committee. Other members of the committee were Special Secretary of SHC & MED and Professor (retired) Eice Muhammad. Action against the doctors was taken on the recommendation of the fact finding committee.

According to the notification made available to Pakistan Today, the fact finding committee suggested terminating Dr. Niazi’s postgraduate training for one year for manhandling the patient and his attendant. “Dr Niazi has been barred from post graduate training for one year in all the public sector hospitals,” Secretary SHC & MED Najam Ahmed Shah stated in the notification. He can resume his training in any other public sector hospital except for Mayo hospital after October 25, 2017. Dr Mazhar Rafique, a postgraduate trainee at orthopedic department, cannot continue his training in Mayo Hospital and may join any other public sector hospital. The fact-finding committee observed that Dr Rafique indulged in the video recording of the patient to save Dr Niazi when the patient was at the mercy of doctors. The YDA released a video statement of the patient in which he was saying that he was not beaten up by the doctors but the fact finding committee found that the video statement was forcefully recorded by the YDA when the patient was under treatment at the ward.

In reaction to the suspensions the YDA announced a boycott of indoors and Out Patient Departments (OPDs) starting Thursday. “The suspension of our colleagues is based on sheer victimization as we were protesting against the Central Induction Policy of health department,” Dr Zafarullah, the spokesperson of YDA Mayo, told Pakistan Today. He further added that the protest of doctors can spread all over the province if the notification of termination is not withdrawn.

The YDA Punjab, the central YDA body of the entire province, is distancing itself from the boycott initiated by YDA Mayo. While speaking to Pakistan Today, Shoaib Niazi Vice President of YDA Punjab said “The action of Dr Shaharyar Niazi is condemnable and YDA Punjab disowns his actions of beating up the patient,” He said the boycott of indoors and outdoors will not be extended to all associated hospitals as it was the sole decision taken by YDA Mayo hospital. It is pertinent to mention that the YDA was formed in 2008 and has become a pressure group in many hospitals for the approval of their demands.