35 doctors in the dock for refusing to treat virus patients.

Byline: Asif Chaudhry

LAHORE -- The Mayo Hospital has sent a complaint against its 35 doctors to the Punjab health department seeking action against them over their refusal to attend to Covid-19 patients.

The action was proposed against the medics of the neurology and the dermatology departments of the hospital. Among them are senior registrars, registrars, medical officers, principal medical officers, postgraduate trainees and house officers. The teaching institute had issued a notification directing them to perform duties when the number of critical patients of Covid-19 at the hospital increased to 110.

The hospital administration has primarily blamed the heads of the two departments for refusing to send their juniors at the time of an emergency. The neurology department is being headed by Prof Dr Ahsan Nauman and dermatology department by Prof Dr Tahir Jamil.

Tuesday was the ninth day that the 35 doctors did not join their duties in medical units (Covid-19 wards), a senior official told Dawn. He said the teaching hospital also launched an inquiry into the wilful absence of these doctors declaring it 'criminal negligence' and violation of their ethical and professional obligations.

The medics of Lahore hospital's neurology and dermatology depts were asked to perform duty in medical wards

The inquiry officers have been directed to collect details of the patients admitted during the nine days so that action may be taken against these medics in case of death or mishandling of any patient during the absence period of the doctors.

As the number of critical patients increased manifold in the Mayo Hospital, the administration sought help from heads of all medical specialties and ENT departments to dispatch their medics to save the patients' lives. The departments included nephrology, cardiology and neurology, the official said, adding that the senior faculty members of the medical units had requested the institute to engage services of doctors of these units during the crisis.

Meanwhile, the administration also prepared a roster of the doctors of these departments and sent it to their heads to ensure implementation by sending their juniors to the high dependency units (HDUs) and the intensive care units (ICUs). He said that the heads of all the units followed the request except the two departments.

While refusing to send their junior...

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