ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA) on Thursday demanded that the killers of Dr Mehwish Hasnain, who was shot dead outside a hospital in Kohat while performing her professional duties, be tried in an anti-terrorism court and given exemplary punishment, warning that rising violence against doctors is pushing many healthcare professionals to leave the country and threatening the future of Pakistan’s health system.
Addressing a press conference, PIMA Central President Prof Atif Hafeez Siddiqui strongly condemned the killing of Dr Mehwish Hasnain and called for nationwide legislation to ensure the protection of doctors and healthcare workers, along with strict implementation of existing laws meant to safeguard medical staff.
He said the brutal killing of the doctor during the performance of her professional duties had deeply shocked the medical community across the country and demanded that her family be provided financial relief and compensation in accordance with the Shuhada package.
Prof Siddiqui expressed regret that despite the gravity of the incident, the chief minister and other senior government officials had so far neither taken notice of the tragic killing nor issued condolences.
He warned that doctors in Pakistan have increasingly become soft targets of violence, harassment and humiliation, adding that frequent attacks on healthcare workers, poor working conditions and lack of security are forcing a growing number of doctors to migrate abroad.
“If this situation continues, Pakistan will face a severe shortage of qualified and experienced doctors in the coming years,” he said, noting that despite the existence of doctors’ protection laws in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, these laws were not being effectively implemented.
Prof Siddiqui said the deteriorating environment in hospitals was also affecting the physical and mental health of doctors and medical students, adding that the medical community was witnessing a worrying increase in stress and even suicidal tendencies among students.
He said frustration caused by the shortage of facilities in public hospitals was often directed at doctors, who are forced to deal with angry patients and attendants despite lacking adequate resources to treat them.
Criticising administrative issues in the healthcare system, he said the software installed in government teaching hospitals in Punjab was technically flawed and creating serious operational difficulties for both doctors and patients.
The press conference was also attended by PIMA Women Branch President Dr Zakia Aurangzeb, PIMA Sindh President Prof Abdullah Muttaqi, Young Doctors Association Sindh President Dr Waris Jakhrani, PIMA Karachi President Dr Ahmar Hamid and Dr Azra Jameel.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Zakia Aurangzeb highlighted the alarming challenges faced by female doctors in Pakistan. She said around 80 percent of students currently enrolled in medical colleges are women, yet the dropout rate of female doctors exceeds 35 percent, which she described as deeply concerning.
She said that while the goal of increasing female enrollment in medical education was to strengthen the healthcare workforce, worsening security conditions and workplace harassment were driving many women away from medical practice.
“What once used to be cases of harassment has now escalated to incidents of murder. In such an environment it is becoming extremely difficult for female doctors to continue their practice,” she said, adding that ensuring the safety of women doctors was the government’s fundamental responsibility.
Prof Abdullah Muttaqi said Pakistan’s healthcare system was currently being sustained by nearly 38,000 trainee doctors, with around 60 percent working in the public sector and 40 percent in the private sector.
He warned that incidents such as the killing of Dr Mehwish Hasnain were likely to further discourage doctors, particularly women, from serving in remote and underserved areas of the country.
“Doctors who complete their training increasingly prefer to leave the country because of the current conditions,” he said, adding that the growing gap in training slots, shortage of trainee doctors and rising brain drain were pushing Pakistan’s healthcare system toward a dangerous situation.
PIMA office bearers demanded that effective security arrangements be ensured in hospitals to protect doctors and healthcare workers, that salaries and service structures be improved in line with inflation and that doctors be provided safe, dignified and proper working conditions.
They warned that unless urgent steps were taken to protect medical professionals and improve the working environment in hospitals, Pakistan could face an even more severe shortage of doctors in the years ahead.
