Things got a little weird when Academy award-winning Pakistani director, Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy got a doctor fired from a Karachi hospital— apparently for sending her sister a friend request on Facebook.
The doctor’s dismissal comes a few days after Sharmeen Obaid’s sister visited the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), Karachi for her treatment. A few days after the visit, she received a friend request from the doctor who had tended to her, an act that was tantamount to “harassment” according to Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy.
The Academy Award winner soon took to Twitter to express her anger. In a series of tweets, she said: “There are zero boundaries in Pakistan! Last night my sister went to AKU emergency and the doctor who tended to her tried to add her on FB.″
“I don’t quite understand how doctor tending 2 emergency patients thinks it’s ok to take a female patient info & add her on FB! unethical”
There are zero boundaries in #pakistan! Last night my sister went to AKU emergency & the doctor who tended to her tried 2 add her on FB 1/2
— Sharmeen Obaid (@sharmeenochinoy) October 23, 2017
I don’t quite understand how doctor tending 2 emergency patients thinks it’s ok to take a female patient info & add her on FB! 2/2 unethical
— Sharmeen Obaid (@sharmeenochinoy) October 23, 2017
Unfortunately the doctor messed with the wrong women in the wrong family and I will definitely report him! Harassment has 2 stop!
— Sharmeen Obaid (@sharmeenochinoy) October 23, 2017
“Unfortunately, the doctor messed with the wrong women in the wrong family and I will definitely report him! Harassment has 2 stop!” she further remarked.
Soon after the Twitter episode, the accused doctor was reportedly fired for “disregarding his ethical values and showing unprofessional behaviour.”
The social media, however, wasn’t too happy over how the whole issue was tackled. Most of them were of the opinion that albeit being unethical for the doctor to have indulged in such sort of behaviour, the act wasn’t grave enough to have been labelled as “harassment”. Some even accused Chinoy of looking for opportunities to “defame Pakistan” whenever possible.
Here are some of the things that were said:
@sharmeenochinoy Are you happy now? 4 snatching the livelihood of a doctor and bringing him disgrace in the society for just sending a req. pic.twitter.com/EEWtSevbzT
— Haseeb Ahmed Janjua (@HaZzY20) October 26, 2017
Doctor fired for sending friend request to influential Sharmeen Obaid’s sister.Who’ll make a documentary on this influence & abuse of power?
— Ibrar (@IbrarIbrahim) October 26, 2017
Unfortunately the doctor messed with the wrong women in the wrong family and I will definitely report him! Harassment has 2 stop!
— Sharmeen Obaid (@sharmeenochinoy) October 23, 2017
Does following a sharmeen obaid on twitter considered as harrasment too?
— Pakistani Sarcasm (@sarcamanistan) October 26, 2017
It is indeed very unethical but I dont think you should categorize that as harassment. It was just a friend request tbh.
— Amna Ahad (@Amna_Ahad) October 24, 2017
Lady! There is hell of a diff btw ‘Harassment’ and ‘Unethical’ and this incident comes under Unethical practise.
— Syeda Kazmi (@kazmi13) October 24, 2017
If a woman is made uncomfortable THAT IS harassment! If some1 gets info from patient’s file & seeks her out on Social media, THTS STALKING!
— sabin muzaffar (@critoe) October 25, 2017
You must be grateful to the doctor as he gave you really good stuff for next documentary. “A Girl in the Ward”
— Usman Ranjha (@osmanranjha) October 24, 2017
Why are you bashing Pakistan ? Bash that doctor but not the whole country for god’s sake.
— Kaynat (@kynt_ali) October 24, 2017
U never miss any chance to humiliate Pak… Frindship does in all over the world b/w girl & boy.. Lot of proposals are made inclding mariage
— Saqib Anjum Shaikh (@SaqibAnjumShai1) October 24, 2017
Not everyone condemned her behaviour though. There were a lot of people who thought that Sharmeen’s approach towards this issue was absolutely correct and that it was possibly the only effective way to handle a situation like this.
I’m sure it will be investigated thoroughly. But the threat is implied. Doctor is in a position of dominance. Patients are at their mercy.
— Ayesha Mumtaz (@AyeshaMumtaz) October 23, 2017
Hope she’s better and it isn’t serious. This constant predatory behavior is a major problem in our society.
— Kohi Marri (@KohiMarri) October 23, 2017
Well , the doctor shouldn’t had done that at first place !!! It agaisnt patient privacy. If in states you can sue him for this
— Farhan (@Farhan20218397) October 24, 2017
Place this case before the jury that chose you for awards and they will reverse their decisions. Mere a friend request harassed???? Shame. I even dont call it ‘unethical’. What she is doing on FB?? Why has she kept option of friend request open????
her sister got the request, she is not a public figure. patient info is private, this is a violation of patient-doctor relationship. this is a breach of confidential information. imagine he looked up her medical records and then searched on fb, went through several profiles with the similar name until he found her. it’s very creepy he spent so much effort to do this especially since he has kids and the woman is not a regular patient he knows just someone who came for an emergency visit.
Did any one asked the doctor abt whats it all abt, may b some additional advise needed in the middle of the night, if things dont go as planned.
Even i, as a male asked few female doctors ocf AKU their email address. they never refused.
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