ATH staff ends strike after court directives

ABBOTTABAD: The Grand Health Alliance on late Friday called off the 17-days strike at the Ayub Teaching Hospital (ATH) following the directives by the Peshawar High Court (PHC). All Allied services including OPDs, operation theatres and the diagnostic facilities had remained suspended during the strike and only emergency cover was provided. A writ petition was filed in the PHC by Sardar Attique-Ur-Rehman and others through Tipu Muhammad Sultan in which chief minister, secretary Health, medical director and hospital director at the ATH, chairman and secretary of the board of governors, doctors and paramedics were made respondents.

The petitioners had stated that the patients were suffering due to the strike which they said was illegal. It was stated that the government was under legal obligation to provide health care to every citizen within the prescribed fundamental rights in the Constitution. Justice Abdul Shakoor and Justice Syed Arshad Ali of the PHC after hearing the petition, asked the respondents, including Health secretary, hospital director of ATH, chairman and secretary of BoG and head of doctors and Paramedics associations of the ATH to ensure their presence on Friday. The court directed the secretary health and advocate general to mediate between the Grand Health Alliance and hospital administration so that the court could reach a final conclusion.