A doctor was beaten violently by the attendants of a patient in the Children’s Hospital in Lahore. The doctor has suffered life-threatening injuries and is admitted to hospital.
The incident triggered a furor on social media; netizens demanded the arrest of the family of the attendants. The doctor named Saad was on duty on the night of the incident. The family beat up the doctor in anger following the death of the child.
Videos of the family beating the doctor made rounds on social media; they demanded immediate arrest of the individuals involved in beating the doctor.
Reports claimed that the situation turned violent after the child of the family passed away. One of the members of the family accused doctors of negligence for the death of the child during treatment, resulting in the brutal treatment of the hospital staff including nurses.
Some of his bones in the brain and nose have been broken badly. He's now shifted to the critical unit in LGH for the brain injury and is in a very critical condition. If you see this, please pray for his health and life. To those who did it: Allah won't forget. He won't. https://t.co/2dUDoWMOTV
— Aqsa (@cryinghoursonly) May 31, 2023
Female staff of the hospital also were targeted by the family. The video showed that physical assault caused the doctor’s nose to bleed. The victim suffered a head injury and fractured arms.
Read more: Foreign female traveler harassed in a hotel in Islamabad
Police registered the case against the five suspects and arrested them later on. The doctor is admitted to the hospital and is said to be in critical condition.
Complete details of the incident as narrated! pic.twitter.com/ugbY0I9xzM
— Nishtarians (@Nishtarians1) May 31, 2023
Beat them all the same way they did to him and then only it'll be equalised. & this is not my opinion this is what we call "adal" in general terms. https://t.co/l5JkePkmho
— 🌻🍉 (@ummiidkk) May 31, 2023
The incident has triggered a debate on the safety and security of doctors. Users said that people become doctors after years of hard work and struggle only to be manhandled by angry patients with limited financial return.
In protest against the incident, Young Doctors have suspended the indoor and outdoor medical services at the Children’s Hospital in Lahore.
The association demands justice for the injured doctor. The protest has now spread across Pakistan. Doctors demand the authorities impose anti-terrorism laws against the suspects. They are even planning a sit-in protest in Lahore.
With the suspension of medical services, patients are facing difficulties across Punjab.