Despite their constant efforts to save lives, medical professionals commit suicide regularly. At various points in their lives, many doctors conclude that death would be a more tranquil option than continuing to struggle with issues.
A letter from Doctor before the suicide
A few days ago, we learned that Doctor Aziz Sodhar from BPS-19 committed suicide and left a lengthy note to justify it. He states in his letter that he was enjoying his duty at Chandka Hospital in Larkana, but he had to go because his kids had been admitted to NED university Karachi. Because he did not own a home and was renting a house, he considered moving to Karachi.
This is the year 2020 when his nephew Irshad Ali Sodhar was the personal Secretary of the Chief Secretary but was upset with him due to a misunderstanding even though Aziz and his mother gave him a lot of services and he stayed in their home for a long time.
Dr. Aziz was sent to MHC Labor Square Karachi as a Medical Superintendent after his mother requested Irshad Ali for him to be transferred there. Irshad Ali requested Mansoor Ahmed, who was then the Additional Secretary.
He claims that when he got to the hospital, he discovered it was a donkey farm rather than a hospital. The hospital was far from his home, so he went to Mansoor and asked to be relocated there. Mansoor refused, saying, “Your nephew has advised that keep him in Karachi but put him in a place where there is less peace and more humiliation.
He eventually spent two years working in the same hospital under a project run by the NGO “HANDS” but the “Hands” contract was ultimately terminated. Several challenges were overcome until the contract was extended, such as a lack of medicine, the sweeper’s unavailability, and many others. How will the hospital run without money to fuel the generator? He asked the District Health Officer, Dr. Maqbool, to help him until the “HANDS” contract was renewed, but he declined. When he later asked for the sweeper, the DHO told him to sweep himself.
He asked the “DHO” because there were no medicines at the hospital, but the DHO wanted money from him to buy drugs. He had to pay the rickshaw driver to deliver the medication to him. While going through this challenging predicament, he was unsure whether to pay the government hospital bill, children’s tuition, or house rent. The hospital was turned over to PPHI after six months, but there was no medicine, sweeper, or ambulance. People came in daily, abusing and threatening the doctor and holding him accountable. He informed the DHO but took no action after that.
He claims that when he requested a week’s leave from the District Health Officer, Dr. Maqbool, he was told he would have to pay 10,000. The leave was not granted to him. This disturbed him, so he went to the secretariat to request a four-month earn leave because his village was underwater. But, the people there wanted a bribe of 50,000 for each month of leave. Despite numerous recommendations, Agha Lutfullah, Section Officer, accepted the money, and his work was completed. As his leave ended on 7/22/23, he went to the secretariat to join, but no one was available to give him a lift, and he was informed that there was no vacancy for Bps-19 in Karachi.
I met with Liaqat Ali Bhatti, Assistant Secretary. If you say so, doctor, I’ll attempt to get you posted to Larkana CMC, he added. I replied, “Sir, I don’t have a house in Karachi or Larkana.” I’ll cover the apartment’s rent in Karachi. Having no other option, I told him, “Okay sir, you should do it in Larkana CMC,” but after a few days, they said the health minister had advised against doing it there.
I then went to meet Faheem Chachar after asking MPA Burhan Chandio to give him a call. An agent then met me outside and told me my job would be finished if I gave him five lac rupees. Where can I find five lac rupees? I asked. I had to submit my children’s expenses about six months ago. For those affected by the rain and floods, the Sindh government has deducted 35,000 rupees.
Also Read: Disappointed Larkana woman attempts suicide
Let me know how I may deposit my rent for my home and my electricity bill. Even though I have already given my joining letter, my posting has yet to occur; a month has gone.
Neither do I have 5 lac nor will my posting take place. I have one and a half years of service remaining, and I am suffering from diabetes and blood pressure; I am old, and at this age, I am forced to move around.
Although unfamiliar with this agent, the other two harassers were section officer Agha Altaf Hussain and Sadruddin, the health secretary’s assistant. Being broke at this age is difficult enough, let alone having to pay for my rent, my children’s schooling, and my medication. After hearing five lac, I became a patient with mental illness.
Where I was posted, there the PPHI and DHO poisoned my life, and now the secretariat people have made my life haram for posting. He added that I’m compelled to kill myself, and Allah will protect my children because it’s better to die once than every day.
Thanks to God, the doctor survived and was given the gift of a new life after being hospitalized after committing suicide and being placed on a ventilator.
Dr. Waris Jakhrani, Dr. Lal Malik, Dr. Usman Zaffar, and Dr. Zeeshan were also a part of the Young Doctor’s Association team that visited Dr. Aziz Sodhar to ask about his health. Dr. Umar Sultan led the delegation.
Gen Secretary Dr. Unis Solangi and President YDA Sukkur Dr. Abdul Majeed Jatoi gave him early recovery wishes.
A doctor’s conduct of committing suicide is very condemnable; suicide is prohibited in Islam, but I also think who pressured this person to such an extent should not they are punished.
Would this system, where we must spend millions of rupees in bribes to get our work done, continue in Sindh? In such a case, how long?
Is this bribery scheme unknown to the Chief Minister and other ministers?
Is that equivalent to doing justice to those who survived the life-or-death struggle by moving their duties and suspending a few officers?
Sindh’s government employees are shouting and requesting how long this oppressive system will last following this tragic tragedy.
