A mob of around 70 people attacked doctors and staff at the emergency ward in Civil Hospital on late Friday night. The attack was carried out after one of the attacker’s relative died of Covid-19 and the hospital refused to hand over the body without proper protocols. This was the third incident of its kind at the hospital and long in a line of increasing incidents of violence against medical workers during the epidemic in Pakistan. Relatives of the deceased Covid-19 patient, who had been brought to the hospital in a deteriorating state, turned violent after the patient passed away. They stormed the ER and took the body from the hospital without following any of the SOPs for Covid-19 deaths, confirmed CHK Medical Superintendent Dr Khadim Qureshi. The FIR was lodged on Saturday.Following the incident, young doctors at the hospital protested for their security. They closed down OPDs and demanded the Sindh government provide them proper protection.Head of Healthcare in Danger Initiative at the International Committee of the Red Cross Dr Mirwais Khan said Covid-19 has already overburdened a thinly stretched healthcare system. Earlier in the month, Jinnah hospital had also witnessed two such incidents. Doctors at Patel Hospital say they’ve been witnessing such violence from attendants regularly ever since the pandemic began.The Sindh govt had then changed the SOPs for the burial of Covid-19 patients. The new guidelines allowed the deceased’s family to take the body after washing and shrouding had been carried out by trained health personnel.
