Unsung heroes of Pakistan: Health care workers caught in violence

Naseem Akhtar, Nurse, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical College emergency ward

"When you witness an assassination attempt in the middle of the emergency ward, it’s natural that you would fear for your life too. I am not sure how we prevented the killing, but I know that we were able to get the Police to intervene swiftly and de-escalate the situation. These extreme situations rarely occur, but when they do, you know it could be your last day at work."

Mujadid Rehman, Edhi emergency services ambulance operator

"I was in my uniform, the ambulance lights were on and I was carrying a stretcher when someone shot at me. I lay there on the street for nearly two-and-a-half hours, hearing bullets being fired. People were shrieking and there was commotion all over. But I was unable to move or call for help. In fact, it wasn’t until I had reached the hospital that I realize I had been shot at."

Dr Abdul Mujeeb, Chief medical officer, JPMC emergency ward

"It was the most nerve-wracking experience of my life. The situation got out of hand and the assaulters used drip stands as weapons. One of them even brandished a gun. The situation was so frenetic that we were unable to call hospital security for 15-20 minutes. Some of us sought refuge in the recess area and barricaded the door, unsure about what to do in the situation."

Sajid Ali, Emergency medical technician, Aman Ambulance Services

"They commandeered our ambulance at gunpoint, loaded the body of their dead family member in it and forced us to drive them all over the city for at least five to six hours. Throughout that ordeal, they were not only abusive and violent, but also threatened to shoot us when we tried to argue that we had medical emergencies to take care of."

Sultan Mohammad, Nurse, JPMC emergency ward

"Breaking the news about someone’s death to their family is always difficult, but I remember this one time when the deceased was the victim of a gunshot injury. Upon hearing that he was no more, the family members went on a rampage, tearing down doors, damaging equipment and hitting the staff. It was the worst situation of violence that I had ever witnessed. It was difficult to get back to work that night – we took time to regain our composure and get past the shock."

Dr Faisal Tehseen, Senior medical officer, Accident & emergency department, Indus Hospital

"The man was frantic, waving his gun, threatening to kill the staff. He screamed at and abused the nursing staff attending to his wife, and at one point physically grabbed a nurse by the collar and shouted at him. Even after the hospital security team intervened and he was escorted out, we were afraid of what might happen."

Waheed Ahmed, Emergency vehicle operator, Aman Ambulance Services

"The crowd was determined to vandalize the ambulance, attacking it with sticks and boulders. The three of us – the doctor, emergency medical technician and I – were trapped inside and unsure about what to do. We tried to tell them that we were medical personnel, but to no avail."