Egyptian protesters were abused by doctors in hospital

Egyptian army doctors were ordered to operate on injured protesters without anaesthetic during the 2011 demonstrations against ex-president Hosni Mubarak in Cairo, a leaked report has revealed.

Compiled by a 16 member committee, the report was commissioned by President Mohamed Morsi into military and police malpractice since the 2011 uprising in Egypt against the rule of long-time leader Mubarak.

The report mainly focused on clashes between protestors and authorities in Abbassiya in May 2011 and revealed that the medical staff and soldiers attacked the injured demonstrators in hospitals.

Furthermore, the alleged rough treatment of the injured included lack of sterilisation, beatings by doctors and nurses and being locked in basements.

It was evident from the findings that a senior doctor at the Kobri el-Qoba military hospital in Cairo ordered the doctors and staff to operate without anaesthetic and sterilisation.

Earlier leaks of the report accused the military of torture and forced disappearances. A witness has told how the military doctors are also to be blamed for “assaulting protesters by severely beating them and verbally assaulting them”.

The director of Human Rights Watch in Egypt, Heba Morayef, commented on the abysmal treatment the injured protestors received.

She said: “The army always said they took the side of the protesters and never fired a bullet against them. This report is the first time that there has been any official condemnation of the military responsibility of torture, killing or disappearances”.

Human Rights activists have insisted the report be made public and the offenders be prosecuted.

Aastha Gill
Photo: Aastha Gill