FAISALABAD: Doctors of the Faisalabad Institute of Cardiology staged a token strike here on Thursday in protest against the suspension oftheircolleague.

Rehan, an employee of the FIC, brought his father Sadiq having some cardiac issue to the hospital emergency on Tuesday. He asked the duty doctor Raza to checl< his father, but the medic allegedly ignored his request.

Meanwhile, the condition of Sadiq worsened and he passed away in the hospital emergency.

Rehan reported the issue to the hospital administration and lodged a complaint against Dr Raza. Rehan was supported by his colleagues who threatened to go on a strike if action was not taken against Dr Raza fordenying treatment to a patient, resulting in his death.

Following the complaint and protest by some hospital employees the hospital`s Medical Superintendent Dr Sher Niazi suspended Dr Raza from services that infuriated his fellow doctors at the hospital.

On Thursday, the doctors suspended work and demanded restoration of Dr Raza.

Owing to their strike that continued for more than one hour, patients and their attendants suffered a lot.

Because of the doctors` protest different kinds of surgeries had also to be postponed.

Nauman Qaiser, who was pushing his ailing father`s wheelchair in a hospital corridor, told reporters he had come to hospital for examination of his father who was feeling chest pain. `But the hospital staff asked me to come again on Friday as doc-tors had left because of the strike, he said.

He asked why patients had to suffer owing to some administrative issue of the hospital. He said the government must take stock of the situation because strike at a cardiac institution could lead to tragedy on a large scale.

The hospital administration held talks with the doctors and told them that as Dr Raza`s contract had expired so the administration had to issue him termination letter.

On the other hand, the protesting doctors argued that if he was terminated because of contract expiry why the word `suspension` was used in the letter. The administration admitted the mistake and promised to rectify it.

Following the assurance, the doctors called off their strike and resumed their official work.