The Young Doctors Association (YDA), Punjab, on Tuesday shut down the outpatient departments (OPDs) of the public hospitals across the province as protest against the government’s alleged indifference towards their demand of service structure.

The protest, as usual, caused huge inconvenience to the patients. In Lahore, the young doctors continued their strike at the OPDs of all the teaching hospitals on the second day, causing hardships for patients and their attendants.

However, the patients, requiring outdoor treatment, did not visit hospitals in anticipation of the unavailability of healthcare services there.

The poor patients received the double blow as reports were received that hundreds of operations were postponed in hospitals partly due to young doctors’ strike and partly due to loadshedding. As a result, thousands of patients were left unattended in the indoor wards as well.

It belied the claims of the Young Doctors Association, Punjab, that the young doctors would not hamper treatment in emergency wards, indoor wards and ICUs/CCUs.

The closure of OPDs increased the load of patients in emergency wards, which also affected the quality of treatment to the seriously sick and injured patients. They strongly criticised doctors for denial of medical treatment as they could not afford the expensive treatment at the private hospitals.

“The doctors, observing a strike, are not only breaching their oath but also trampling on basic rights of patients,” they said.

They also criticized the provincial government for failing to resolve the crisis and demanded a stern action against doctors for their apathetic attitude towards the poor masses.

The Punjab government has shown indifference to resolving the matter and left the patients at the mercy of young doctors who had resorted to their usual tactic of using patients as a shield to influence the government to announce service structure for them.

The administrations of teaching hospitals of Lahore, however, claimed that they had ensured the provision of healthcare services in emergency and indoor wards without any hiccups.

“We have also made arrangements to provide outdoor treatment to patients in emergency wards,” claimed administrative officials of various hospitals.

Meanwhile, the Young Doctors Association members have vowed to continue their strike until the fulfillment of their demand of service structure in the province.

They also condemned the government for playing in the hands of the bureaucracy, backing off from its promises and forcing doctors to go on strike.