PESHAWAR: The doctors, paramedics, nurses and other employees of public sector hospitals on Monday vowed to continue struggle against the Essential Services Act and felt the Health Department was planning to deprive the doctors of their democratic rights.
The Health Employees Coordination Council had convened the second general body meeting of the council at the Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH).Prof Dr Mustafa Iqbal, chairman of the council, presided over the meeting, where representatives of professors, doctors, paramedics, nurses and class-IV employees were present.
He rejected the Essential Services Act and demanded removal of special secretary health, Prof Dr Noorul Iman, saying he was behind the move. Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) president Dr Hussain Ahmad Haroon backed the struggle of the Young Doctors Association (YDA) and asked the government to give the doctors same service structure that it had given to judiciary.
He urged the doctors to unite as the government was not going to give them their rights.Dr Shah Sawar, former president of Provincial Doctors Association (PDA), said they would not accept the act as it was neither in the interest of doctors nor other health workers and patients. Dr Liaqat Ali, Dr Alamgir, president Young Doctors Association (YDA) KPK, and others also spoke on the occasion.
The doctors also showed their solidarity with the Young Doctors Association (YDA) in Punjab and assured them of full cooperation.They decided to set up camps for OPD outside public health hospitals in the province within 48 hours.
The doctors later held a peaceful protest outside KTH and announced to hold the general body in the Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) on July 4. Senior doctors and representatives of the doctors including Prof Waqar Alam Jan, president of the Postgraduate Medical Institute Teaching Staff Association, stayed away from protest of the doctors.