Patients, journalists barred from entering JPMC’s emergency ward | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Patients, journalists barred from entering JPMC’s emergency ward

KARACHI:Jan 16: Police on Thursday barred dozens of patients, their relatives, some duty doctors, and journalists entry into the Emergency Ward of the Jinnah Post-Graduate Medical Centre (JPMC) following the arrival of some 12 injured of the car bomb blast, which occurred outside Avari Towers Hotel.

Some 12 people injured in the blasts, including six personnel of the police and the Rangers, were brought to the JPMC Emergency Ward and following their arrival a police contingent led by ASP Saddar, Kashif Kanju, entered into the Emergency and closed the doors and iron grill to patients, visitors, journalists and photographers.

However, besides some duty doctors, only the personnel of police and Rangers, escorting the DIG, Operations, Tariq Jameel, and Advisor on Home Aaffairs, Aftab Shaikh, were in the hospital’s emergency ward, where Shaikh and the DIG came to see the injured persons including the Town Police Officer (TPO) Clifton Muneer Shaikh.

Police personnel and the ASP misbehaved with security staff of the JPMC, as they had allowed a few doctors and paramedics to enter into the emergency. ASP Kanju also stopped provincial minister Imtiaz Shaikh when he tried to enter into the hospital for inquiring after the health of injured persons. However, when Imtiaz introduced himself, police allowed him to proceed.

Police also restricted the entry of reporters and photographers in the emergency ward. Some of the photographers were also manhandled by the police when they tried to enter.This correspondent witnessed a man and a woman begging a policeman to allow them to visit their son who was also under treatment in the emergency.

A policeman told the couple that he could not allow them as he was strictly directed not to give entry to anyone.One of the reporters present outside the emergency ward contacted DIG Operations on his cellular phone and informed him of the details. The DIG, however, claimed that police restricted entry of people as doctors at the hospital requested the police to provide them security.

In the meantime, provincial minister Imtiaz Shaikh came outside the emergency. The photographers, present there, surrounded him and asked him to intervene in the matter. Later, on his intervention police allowed only photographers to go inside the emergency.

Police and Rangers continued to occupy the JPMC’s emergency for more than 30 minutes. Finally, after the departure of the DIG Operation and home advisor, the law enforcers allowed people to enter the emergency ward.

Source: The News
Date:1/16/2004