MITHI: Another doctor posted in the desert district of Tharparkar committed died by suicide. Dr Rawal Meghwar, who was posted at Rural Health Centre Islamkot, which is run under Peoples’ Primary Healthcare Initiative (PPHI, ) succumbed to his severe burn injuries at Trauma Centre in Karachi on Wednesday. Dr Rawal doused himself with petrol and set his body on fire. in Islamkot town on Tuesday night, and he received multiple burn injuries in his attempt to terminate his lifeline. Dr. Meghwar, after receiving some required medication at his RHC Islamkot, was shifted to Karachi for further required treatment of his severe burn injuries.
The suicide of yet another young medical professional in Tharparkar sparked widespread condemnation from different segments of society, activists, and common people. They demanded the probe by a thorough judicial committee in both cases of suicide by Dr Rawal and Dr Abdul Karim Shaikh in the period of less than a week.
The insiders claimed that Dr Rawal had been under alleged mental agony and stress due to his frequent transfers in postings from one facility to another. The sources claimed that Dr Meghwar was transferred and posted for nearly 15 times during the past six months at various healthcare facilities across the desert district. They held the officials of PPHI for such alleged behavior with Dr Meghwar, which reportedly forced to end his life.
Mr Sobdar Shahani, the district general manager of PPHI, speaking to media persons, outright rejected the media reports about the frequent transfers and posting of Dr Rawal Meghar and speculation of his alleged mental disorders. " Dr Meghwar has been performing his duties very honestly and professionally at Islamkot Rural Health Centre for the past several months, and he had no mental health issues," he he said and added that only police teams could investigate the factors behind his suicide.
Here it may be recalled that a senior doctor and Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Abdul Karim Shaikh committed suicide in Mithi after he was blackmailed and mentally tortured by his fellow doctors and other staffers.
Meanwhile the high-ups of the Sindh government appointed Dr Shahid Ali Jhangi as the new Civil Surgeon of Mithi Civil Hospital in the place of Dr Harish Kumar Jagani. Dr Jagani was first suspended and then nominated in the suicide case of Dr Shaikh and he was asked to report to office of Secretary Health Sindh.