RAWALPINDI – Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology (RIC) witnessec chaotic scenes as relatives of female patient allegedly assaulted staff nurse, tore her clothes and attempted to strip her inside the hospital.
The incident triggered protest by nursing staff, with nurses refusing to work and demanding immediate action against those allegedly involved. The disruption reportedly left the emergency department and other wards without nursing staff, causing difficulties for patients.
اسٹیٹ آف دی آرٹ ادارہ قرار دیے جانے والے راولپنڈی انسٹیٹیوٹ آف کارڈیالوجی (RIC) کے حالات بھی اب عام سرکاری ہسپتالوں جیسے ہوتے جا رہے ہیں، ایمرجنسی میں ایک مریضہ کی جانب سے اسٹاف نرس پر مبینہ تشدد کے واقعے کے بعد پیرامیڈیکل اسٹاف ہڑتال پر چلا گیا، جس کے باعث ہسپتال آنے والے عام… pic.twitter.com/YNrGbMzgs1
— Shabbir Dar (@ShabbirDar5) September 7, 2026
The hospital administration ordered inquiry committee, while police registered a case against the patient’s daughters and relatives following a complaint by staff nurse Sitara Saleem.
The dispute reportedly erupted in emergency department while Nurse Sitara Saleem was attending to patients. She said the three daughters of patient Zameen Bibi were asked to leave the emergency area but allegedly became aggressive, verbally abused her and began manhandling her. The nurse alleged that the women dragged her toward the male ward, where two unidentified men allegedly joined them and assaulted her.
She further alleged that the women tore her clothes and attempted to remove them during the assault. The complainant also told police that she pleaded with the attackers to stop, but they allegedly continued threatening her, claiming they were wealthy and could have her removed from her job.
According to the complaint, the nurse was allegedly subjected to severe physical abuse and humiliation, prompting her to seek legal action against those responsible. Police confirmed that a case has been registered and said raids were being conducted to arrest the suspects.
The alleged assault triggered an immediate reaction from the hospital’s nursing staff. All staff nurses reportedly stopped work and demanded concrete measures to protect healthcare workers from violence. The protesting nurses warned that they would not resume duties unless the hospital administration ensured their safety and took action against those responsible.
The protest reportedly affected the emergency department and other wards, where the absence of nursing staff created serious difficulties for patients.
Hospital officials attempted to persuade the nurses to call off their protest and assured them of full cooperation. However, the nursing staff initially refused to end their demonstration.
The situation was eventually brought under control after Waris Khan Circle Superintendent of Police Abid Khan and SHO Raja Tasaduq reached the hospital and held negotiations with the protesting nurses. Police assured the nurses that their complaint would be pursued, a case would be registered and the suspects would be arrested.
Following the assurances, the protesting nurses ended their demonstration peacefully. Meanwhile, the Executive Director of RIC constituted a three-member inquiry committee comprising Dr Misbah Durrani, Dr Abdul Malik and Dr Abdus Salam to investigate the incident.
The hospital administration also assured the nursing staff that their grievances would be addressed and that they would receive full support.
The incident has once again raised concerns over the safety of healthcare workers inside hospitals, with the alleged assault leaving nursing staff demanding stronger security measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
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