LARKANA: Hundreds of in-house and visiting patients continued to suffer for a second consecutive day as doctors and paramedics stayed away from their duties while pathology, x-ray, ultrasound and other units also remained closed at the Chandka Medical College Hospital and its four attached facilities on Tuesday.

The indefinite boycott of duties is being observed on a call given by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) comprising office-bearers and representatives of the Larkana chapters of Pakistan Medical Association (PMA), Young Doctors Association (YDA), Young Consultants Association, Paramedical Staff Association and Young Nurses Association. The call, supported by the Teachers Association of the Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University, was given against registration of an FIR against the CMCH medical superintendent, seven doctors and some paramedics after death of a woman patient, Amar Sindhu, daughter of Advocate Abdul Sattar Hulio.

The complainant claims that his seriously ill daughter died on April 12 due to the nominated suspects’ negligence and unavailability of ventilator in the emergency ward. A group of local lawyers forming a Joint Action Forum (JAF) actively backs Advocate Hulio on the issue.

The JAC of doctors and paramedics has been trying hard to convince the deputy commissioner and police to quash the FIR but in vain.

On Tuesday, the agitating organisations held a general body meeting which decided to continue the boycott. It constituted a committee to hold talks with the District Bar Association to seek help in resolving the issue.

The Civil Lines DSP, leading a joint investigation team (JIT) has been assigned a probe into the whole matter.

As all health care services remained suspended, hundreds of patients coming from across Larkana district and its adjoining areas were turned away from the OPDs of CMCH (City Block) and its four attached hospitals, including CMC Children Hospital and Shaikh Zayed Hospital for Women.

Speaking to Dawn, Larkana PMA President-elect and JAC chairman Prof Dr Sikandar Mughal said it was decided by the general body that the boycott would continue.

“We know that the boycott is affecting patients,” he said, adding that the District Bar Association had now agreed to play its role in resolving the issue. He said the JAC had formed a committee to hold talks with the DBA-nominated team.

Prof Mughal said the general body also decided to file a petition in the Sindh High Court in order to get the FIR quashed.

Meanwhile, CMCH Medical Superintendent Dr Mubashar Kolachi discussed with the JAC the situation arising out of Amar Sindhu’s death, registration of the FIR and the efforts to sort out the issue. He was apprised of the decisions taken by the general body earlier in the day.

Prof Mughal said he was unaware of the health department’s response to Dr Kolachi’s letter to the health secretary immediately after the FIR was lodged on April 12.

He said that the JAC would meet the Larkana SSP and press him to respond to the communications of the Sindh Healthcare Commission about the investigations being conducted into the incident. He hoped that the SSP’s report would help resolve the issue.

Published in Dawn, May 15th, 2024