Two junior doctors at public hospitals in Multan and Sialkot have been dismissed for prescribing medications from private pharmacies amid hospital drug shortages, prompting widespread protests from the medical community and renewed debate over Pakistan’s healthcare challenges. The removals have become a focal point in ongoing tensions between medical staff and hospital authorities in Punjab.
At Nishtar Hospital in Multan, Dr. Ruqayya Mahnoor Qureshi, a house officer, was suspended after allegedly prescribing medicine from an external pharmacy to a patient due to shortages in the hospital’s stock. Authorities claimed her actions violated hospital regulations and announced a formal inquiry, with the suspension order circulated to senior provincial health officials.
A similar incident unfolded in Sialkot, where Dr. Muhammad Sagheer, serving in the General Surgery department at Allama Iqbal Memorial Teaching Hospital, was dismissed for also prescribing privately sourced medication during his shift. Hospital administration cited this as a breach of institutional policy.
These actions have provoked a strong response from young doctors’ associations and professional groups. Leaders such as Dr. Hassan Baloch of the Young Doctors Federation criticized the dismissals, arguing that house officers, who are recent medical graduates in supervised training, have little control over medicine availability and should not be held responsible for systemic failures. He highlighted the ethical dilemma faced by doctors forced to choose between hospital policies and patient care, accusing administrations of scapegoating junior staff to deflect from their own shortcomings.
Statements from doctors in other major hospitals echoed these sentiments, questioning whether it is just to penalize clinicians for trying to save lives when in-hospital drug supplies run out. The medical community is calling for fair investigations and warning of broader agitation unless dismissed staff are reinstated and drug shortages addressed.
House officers are a critical part of care delivery in Pakistani public hospitals, handling a range of clinical duties under senior supervision. Provincial guidelines require them to comply with strict policies, but these often conflict with the realities of resource shortages. Reports consistently find that hospitals struggle to maintain adequate stocks of essential medicines, forcing difficult decisions when patients’ needs cannot be met internally.
Experts note that, beyond shortages, issues such as pharmaceutical marketing and outdated clinical protocols further complicate drug prescribing in Pakistan. These factors contribute to a health system described by national and international agencies as under-resourced and vulnerable to systemic failures.
The dismissals have reignited calls from the Young Doctors Association for policy reform and better working conditions. There are growing demands for transparent investigations, improved drug supply chains, and protection for junior medical staff working in challenging circumstances.
As inquiries into the Multan and Sialkot cases proceed, the outcomes are expected to set important precedents, potentially influencing future protocols and clarifying the responsibilities and protections afforded to house officers in Pakistan’s overstretched public hospitals.
