LARKANA: It is really very astonishing that there is no lady doctor posted at Taluka Hospital, Kandhkot, to medico legally examine or to conduct autopsies of the affected women who are either murdered or subjected to sexual abuse.

This came to light when one alleged rape incident took place in A-Section Police Station limits of Kandhkot on 27.9.2021 when a girl Farhana daughter of Meerdad Bhatti was allegedly sexually assaulted but the doctors posted at the Kandhkot THQ referred her to Chandka Medical College Hospital (CMCH), Larkana, for medico legal examination because there was no lady doctor in the THQ.

This surprised everyone and also created a lot of problems for the affected girl and her parents apart from exposing the working of the Health Department in Sindh which has left the residents of the area at the mercy of their Creator in this computer science era.

The girl was brought to the CMCH on 28th September for examination and issuance of Medico-Legal Certificate (MLC). She was about 12 years old. The WMLO of CMCH refused to examine her because they will have to appear in Kandhkot court for recording her statement for which the government does not provide any TA/DA. According to the policy, the CMCH doctors are bound to conduct MLCs of Larkana Taluka only and other cases are to be performed by DHO doctors. Finally, Director, Health Services, Larkana, Dr. Rustom Bhutto was approached by a Bhatti notable of Larkana who arranged a lady doctor of District Health Officer (DHO), Larkana (Dr. Romana Abbasi). She came and examined the affected girl after over three hours of hectic efforts by the relatives of the girl.

This has raised many vital human rights questions apart from highlighting the sheer negligence and worst mismanagement of the Health Department which has failed to post a WMO at Kandhkot to examine female patients of Kandhkot despite having all resources.

In this connection, when Dr. Aziz Soomro, THQ Medical Superintendent, Dr. Aijaz Soomro, DHO Kandhkot @ Kashmore district were contacted to have their views but they did not attend the telephone calls. Then the Director, Health Services, Larkana Division, Dr. Rustom Bhutto, was contacted to have the facts about posting of WMOs across the Larkana division specially Kandhot but he too failed to attend the call.

Advocate Qadir Bux Bhatti was called, who arranged the lady doctor after lengthy efforts, he said that he himself talked to both DHO and MS Kandhkot and both of them confirmed to him that there is no lady doctor posted in the entire Kashmore district hence they referred the case to Larkana. Bhatti further said that they also informed Health Director Dr. Rustom Bhutto in his presence. Bhatti urged the health department bureaucrats to immediately post WMOs. He also appealed to the Chief Justice, Sindh High Court, to take notice of the human rights issue to save women from being examined by male doctors in the era and non-availability of WMOs in the district.