Alleged rape victim from Kashmir was not the first rape victim at the Mayo Hospital, as two more incidents have been unearthed, which were neither reported to the police nor investigated by the Hospital administration despite a complaint by the Chief security officer and the victims.
According to the details available from a Hospital official, Dr. Muneer, who was serving as Honorary House Officer, in the Paeds Ward. A two-and-half-a-year-old child suffering from diarrhoea, accompanied by his mother and aunt, was brought to the Ward. During one of the nights, 16-year-old girl was ‘seduced’ by the said doctor to his office at midnight. “Her cries fell on the deaf ears of the ward staff, but the attendants of other patients complained to the supervisor security,” he added seeking anonymity, adding that before any help could be provided, the patient was discharged at 5 am on a Sunday morning. “This was done against the rules because an Honorary House Officer cannot discharge a patient without the consent of the consultant. On the other hand, the odd timing substantiates the allegation levelled by the girl and her mother,” he stated.
The unfortunate girl and her mother promised to be part of the enquiry but they did not come back again for further proceedings into the investigation. On the other hand, when the Chief Security Officer of the Hospital Maj (R) Syed A. Mateen reported the matter to the Chief Executive of the Hospital, the latter terminated Dr. Muneer immediately. “On the night 22/23 September 2002 at about 0310 hrs Dr Muneer Honorary House Officer had persuaded a girl, a patient attendant to a side room. Both remained inside the room for a considerable time. Duty staff nurse Tanveer and other patients of the Paeds Ward came to know about this. They were of the view that Dr Muneer had ‘bad intention’ (read raped her), but later on staff nurse denied. Dr Muneer at about 0500 hrs impressed upon the above girl and her patient to abscond from the hospital. It is also learnt that Dr Muneer does not enjoy good reputation,” stated the letter.
But after a few he was given job again at the Hospital by another administrator. Now Dr. Muneer had proceeded to a foreign country after serving for about four months.
However, the matter was not reported to the local police station.
In the summer of year 2005, another 18-year-old girl was raped by a senior doctor of the Oncology Department in his office. “She was attending on her ailing father, and the said doctor victimised on the pretext to ‘brief’ her about the state of her father. The girl complained in written, but later on, did not pursue the case because of social implications. And the recently suspended Medical Superintendent Dr. Fayyaz Ahmed Ranjha ‘snubbed’ the doctor, but the doctor was punished,” added the source.
In another case a staff nurse complained about a House Surgeon for his ‘inappropriate’ behaviour. According to the complaint submitted by victim, it was stated that “I am working as Senior Staff Nurse in South Surgical Ward, Mayo Hospital, Lahore. On Saturday, 10th of August 2002, Dr. Asad, House Surgeon of SSW abused me, pushed me aside, snatched my coat and broke a button and used filthy language against the nursing profession. In the mean time, Dr. Farrukh, Registrar of SSW came and settled the dispute. The matter was solved there and then.
But on Monday 12th of August 2002, Dr. Asad came in the ward while I was the only staff nurse looking after 50 beds lonely after shifting of 48 hours emergency, and threatened me of dire consequences, which is unbearable,” read the complaint.
However, the matter was settled later on and the complainant withdrew her complaint. “It was not a rape case, but was definitely immoral on the part of the concerned doctor,” he added.
Many a time was averted either because of the staff or the victim herself. “This is a routine here. Most of the times, the victims neither report because of the social compulsions or simply keep quiet,” said the source.
December 10, 2005
No comments:
Post a Comment