PIC reopens after two-day closure.

LAHORE -- The Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) reopened on Friday evening after closure for two days due to damages inflicted by lawyers during an attack on Wednesday.

'The administration, doctors, nurses and paramedical staff are determined to serve the ailing humanity with greater devotion and dedication,' said Prof Saqib Shafi, head of PIC while announcing opening of the emergency and other department at a press conference along with leadership of Grand Health Alliance (GHA) and Young Doctors Association.

Earlier in the day, the Emergency, Out-Patients Department (OPD) and Pharmacy remained dysfunctional due to dysfunctional equipment and damage to physical infrastructure. In normal circumstances, as many as 2,500 patients daily visit the OPD. Besides, over 2,000 patients receive one month's medicines from the PIC pharmacy.

In the morning, doctors and allied health staff observed mourning day to express grief over loss of three precious lives due to lawyers' hooliganism. The PIC staff also arranged a candle-lit vigil in the evening in the memory of victims. Hundreds of doctors, allied health staff and civil society organizations held a rally outside the health facility to condemn lawyers' barbarianism. The healthcare providers at PIC and other health facilities worked while wearing black armbands on the third day following lawyers' attack.

The PIC management released second report of damage assessment worth Rs27.875 million in addition to an earlier report of an estimated loss of Rs70 million. As per the report, at least 294 items were destroyed/vanished from emergency ward alone. These items included nebulizers, plastic chairs...