MTI Hospital Bans Journalists Following Assault Allegations

Nusrat Gandapur

DI Khan: Following allegations of medical negligence and assault, the management of Mufti Mehmood Memorial Teaching Hospital (MTI) in Dera Ismail Khan has imposed a ban on journalists’ entry into the hospital.

This decision comes after a series of violent events on the hospital premises, including the death of a patient allegedly due to medical negligence in the trauma center. Subsequently, members of a doctors’ organization, purportedly acting as thugs, assaulted the protesting relatives of the deceased.

Despite police intervention and the registration of a terrorism case against these individuals, the MTI administration has openly supported these ‘fugitive doctors’, including those at MTI Dera.

Reacting to the development, the Gomal Journalists Association (GJA) strongly condemned this ban, viewing it as a violation of the legal and constitutional rights of the media. They assert that the ban impedes the public’s right to access information about healthcare facilities and quality.

Instead of addressing their shortcomings and corruption, the hospital administration has targeted journalist Adil Waqar, who exposed their failings, the GJA observed.

The GJA has demanded an immediate end to the ban on media access, urging Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur to dismantle the autocratic system prevalent in MTI hospitals and institute accountability measures.

They also called upon Health Minister Qasim Ali Shah and Deputy Commissioner Dera Mansoor Arshad to intervene and ensure the withdrawal of this ban.

Failure to do so will prompt protests and legal action, the journalist body warned.

Furthermore, the Association emphasized that individuals involved in the terrorism case should surrender and face legal proceedings in court. They assert that hospitals cannot arbitrarily ban journalists and act against the law and constitution.