Noted gastroenterologist Dr Saad Khalid Niaz returned his Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, which he received from the then government in 2013, in protest against the government's 'indifferent attitude' towards healthcare workers who died saving patients during the Covid pandemic.
The disgruntled doctor lamented that healthcare workers were not given their share of the civil awards recently announced by the government for different individuals for their services.
Dawn quoted Dr Niaz as saying that he has formally returned his Tamgha-e-Imtiaz to President Arif Alvi over his government's 'failure' to acknowledge the services rendered by healthcare professionals, many of whom lost their lives fighting the pandemic as frontline warriors.
He reportedly wrote a letter to the president wherein he said that he was returning the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz. While speaking to Dawn, he lamented that over 200 healthcare workers lost their lives to Covid in Pakistan but only two of the civil award recipients were doctors this year. "This is extremely disappointing," he said.
On August 14, President Alvi had announced the name of 126 people who were chosen for Civil Awards in recognition of their services to the nation.
Healthcare workers in Pakistan have been on the forefront of the country's fight against the Covid pandemic from day one -- often working with limited resources. They also faced lack of adequate protective gear, but continued to depose their responsibilities and saved lives during the pandemic.
The disgruntled doctor lamented that healthcare workers were not given their share of the civil awards recently announced by the government for different individuals for their services.
Dawn quoted Dr Niaz as saying that he has formally returned his Tamgha-e-Imtiaz to President Arif Alvi over his government's 'failure' to acknowledge the services rendered by healthcare professionals, many of whom lost their lives fighting the pandemic as frontline warriors.
He reportedly wrote a letter to the president wherein he said that he was returning the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz. While speaking to Dawn, he lamented that over 200 healthcare workers lost their lives to Covid in Pakistan but only two of the civil award recipients were doctors this year. "This is extremely disappointing," he said.
On August 14, President Alvi had announced the name of 126 people who were chosen for Civil Awards in recognition of their services to the nation.
Healthcare workers in Pakistan have been on the forefront of the country's fight against the Covid pandemic from day one -- often working with limited resources. They also faced lack of adequate protective gear, but continued to depose their responsibilities and saved lives during the pandemic.