A 24-year-old patient died at Gulab Devi Hospital in Lahore following a physical clash between his female relatives and a lady doctor, with both sides giving conflicting accounts of the incident.
The patient, identified as Zulfiqar, had been admitted to the hospital a week earlier with a chest infection. His relatives accused doctors of suspending his treatment out of a grudge, claiming that the interruption led to his death.
A video of the incident, which circulated on social media, shows a scuffle breaking out after a lady doctor approached a female attendant and slapped her. The two sides reportedly exchanged slaps, punches and blows.
Police reached the hospital after receiving a call from its management and arrested the female attendants.
The doctor’s male colleagues later said that she had confronted one of the women to stop her from recording a video of the incident.
Gulab Devi Hospital Medical Superintendent (MS) Prof Dr Hamid Hassan said that Zulfiqar needed critical care and a ventilator, adding that staff had submitted a written request for the required arrangements.
In a statement, he said that the patient was receiving treatment in Ameeruddin Ward and accused his female attendants of physically assaulting the doctor.
He rejected claims that Zulfiqar died because the hospital failed to provide treatment, stressing that doctors had placed him on a ventilator whilw senior doctors continued to attend to him after the assault.
“The patient breathed his last due to his critical condition,” Prof Hassan said.
However, Zulfiqar’s relatives disputed the hospital’s account, saying that video footage showed who initiated the confrontation.
Speaking to the media, they alleged that male doctors and hospital security staff entered the ward, physically assaulted the female attendants and locked them in a room. They further accused the staff of verbally abusing and humiliating the women while they were detained.
The family also criticised the police for using excessive force to arrest female attendants while Zulfiqar remained in critical condition.
The Young Doctors Association (YDA) Punjab condemned the assault on the lady doctor and called for better security arrangements to protect medical staff from such incidents.
