DRAFT — Clash at Lahore’s Gulab Devi Hospital after patient’s death

• Suggested slug: gulab-devi-hospital-clash-doctors-attendants
• Category: Health
• Focus keyphrase: Gulab Devi Hospital
• SEO title: Gulab Devi Hospital clash after patient’s death in Lahore
• Meta description: A patient died at Lahore’s Gulab Devi Hospital after a clash between a lady doctor and attendants, sparking conflicting claims and a probe.
• Tags: Gulab Devi Hospital, Lahore, health, Punjab, doctors, patient safety, police, Young Doctors Association
• Original element: cross-source update — The News (departmental inquiry ordered; bribe allegation; Dr Zahra account) and 24NewsHD TV (two women detained under Sections 107/151, presented before court; DIG Operations Faisal Kamran statement) add verified developments beyond Dawn’s item
• Source: https://www.dawn.com/news/2038107 (Dawn, published 19 Oct 2026, 06:40 PKT)
• Story date: 19 October 2026

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LAHORE: Tensions flared at Gulab Devi Hospital after a 24-year-old patient died following a physical clash between a lady doctor and the patient’s female relatives. Police have detained two women and a departmental inquiry has been ordered. The incident has once again raised questions about safety in public hospital wards.

The patient, Zulfiqar, 24, had been admitted about a week earlier with a chest infection and was under treatment at the Ameeruddin Ward.

What happened at Gulab Devi Hospital

A video clip that spread on social media shows a scuffle breaking out when a lady doctor moved toward a female attendant. Both sides then exchanged blows, according to eyewitness accounts reported in the media.

The attendants alleged that doctors had suspended treatment to their critically ill patient out of spite, and that this led to his death.

The family also claimed male doctors and security staff entered the ward, assaulted the female attendants and locked them in a room. They further alleged that paramedical staff demanded a bribe. They criticised the police for using force against the women when their patient needed critical care.

The hospital’s version of events

The hospital management rejected the family’s account. Medical Superintendent Prof Dr Hamid Hassan said the patient was in need of critical care on a ventilator and the staff had sent a written request accordingly. He said Zulfiqar was on the ventilator and senior doctors were attending to him even after the physical assault on the female doctor.

“The patient breathed his last due to his critical condition,” Prof Hassan said. He denied that treatment had been withheld and said the female attendants had physically assaulted the lady doctor.

The doctor’s colleagues said the lady doctor, Dr Zahra, had turned toward one of the female attendants to stop her from recording a video of the ward.

The Young Doctors Association (YDA) Punjab condemned the assault on the female doctor and demanded better security for medical staff to prevent such incidents. The association has long argued that doctors in public hospitals face routine violence, a concern also visible in recent protests by doctors in Karachi.

Police action and inquiry

Police responded to a call from the hospital management and arrested the female attendants. Naseerabad police detained two women and initiated preventive proceedings against them under Sections 107 and 151 of the criminal procedure code. The women were presented before a court.

DIG Operations Faisal Kamran said the police acted promptly to maintain law and order at the hospital. He said no one would be allowed to take the law into their own hands. A heavy police contingent remained deployed at the hospital to prevent further trouble.

The incident has also prompted a departmental inquiry, according to The News. This sits uneasily with Dawn’s report that the hospital management refused to launch any inquiry into the alleged negligence. The conflicting claims show how contested the facts remain.

A wider problem in Punjab’s hospitals

The Gulab Devi clash is not an isolated case. Violence against medical staff in Punjab’s public hospitals has been reported repeatedly, and safety in hospital wards is a recurring concern. Our earlier coverage of hospital safety in Punjab documented similar incidents and their causes.

The provincial government has been investing heavily in health infrastructure, including Rs45 billion in health projects approved recently. The system has also shown its better side, from the first kidney transplant at KTH under the Sehat Card to ongoing upgrades across Punjab’s hospitals. But incidents like this one suggest that funding alone does not fix the tension between overcrowded wards, stressed staff and anxious families.

For now, the facts of the Gulab Devi case will be tested in the inquiry and the courts. What is not in dispute is that a young man died, two women are in custody, and a hospital ward became a battleground.

FAQs

What happened at Gulab Devi Hospital in Lahore?

A physical clash broke out between a lady doctor and female attendants at the Ameeruddin Ward. Patient Zulfiqar, 24, died soon after, and both sides blame each other.

What does the patient’s family allege?

The family says treatment was suspended during the commotion, that staff assaulted and locked up the female attendants, and that paramedical staff demanded a bribe. They deny the negligence claims were investigated.

What does the hospital say?

Medical Superintendent Prof Dr Hamid Hassan said the patient was on a ventilator with senior doctors attending him, and died because of his critical condition. The hospital says the attendants assaulted the lady doctor.

What action has been taken?

Naseerabad police detained two women under Sections 107 and 151 and presented them before a court. A departmental inquiry has been ordered.

*Sources: Dawn and The News, October 19, 2026; 24NewsHD TV.*