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Thursday March 28, 2024

Patients suffer for YDA-govt standoff

By Amer Malik
April 26, 2016

Doctors observe complete strike in all hospitals; thousands of patients affected in LGH alone

LAHORE

Tens of thousands of patients have been deprived of their basic right to healthcare in Punjab’s hospitals as Young Doctor Association (YDA) observed complete strike and boycotted their services in all hospitals on Monday with practical shutdown of Lahore General Hospital since last Friday on the pretext of lack of security in all hospitals in the province.

The young doctors’ strike in Lahore General Hospital (LGH), the Pakistan’s biggest Neurosciences institute, has severely affected the patients as work was stopped in emergency ward, outdoor and indoor wards thus leaving critical patients to suffer from the ailments and injuries. Thousands of patients especially with neurological diseases and injuries have been affected in LGH alone. A source in LGH informed that the hospital’s emergency was still not functioning even after the lapse of four days. “The young doctors have boycotted services and crippled normal work,” he said, adding the situation is very pathetic, all HOs, PGs, MOs and registrars refused to join their duties.

“It’s height of cruelty and inhuman attitude of doctors towards poor patients,” lamented the visitors, saying that every second is important for a patient with tumour or head injury. “The situation is alarming as only administrative doctors are deputed in emergency as they have no experience of handling emergencies,” they said, adding there is no professor or any other senior doctor to save lives of critical patients.

Protesting manhandling of doctors in Lahore General Hospital and DHQ Hospital, Sargodha, the young doctors caused a huge inconvenience to thousands of visiting patients and their families who left with no other option except going to private healthcare centres for treatment or go home without treatment. The situation was worse for those needing admission indoors for care and proper management of diseases.

Though the YDA closed down OPDs only, strike affected service delivery at other departments also as the protesting doctors stayed away from their duties. As OPDs are the major source of admissions indoors, patients were the ultimate sufferer of standoff between the young doctors and the government. The strike caused cancellation of thousands of scheduled and emergency surgeries besides denying indoor patients the facility of clinical tests.

The patients returned from the government hospitals in utter helplessness because there was no one to attend them in the Out-Door Patient Department (OPD). The doctors were on strike to press for their demand of foolproof security for staff in all hospitals serving under the Punjab government.

Most of the patients, who had come from remote areas of the province, faced many problems when they came to know that the doctors were on strike and no one was there in OPD to examine them. Majority of the patients went there for checkups were poor and could not afford medical treatment in private hospitals and clinics. The patients have demanded the government to resolve the issues and end doctors’ strike in hospitals. Protesting doctors completely shut down DHQ Hospital in Sargodha denying healthcare facilities even at Emergency. “The decision of indefinite strike in OPDs in hospitals all across Punjab has been taken by General Council of YDA Punjab in view of the rage and anger among doctor community following the incidents of physical torture of doctors in DHQ hospital, Sargodha and attack on doctors in Lahore General Hospital,” said spokesman of YDA Punjab Dr Khurram Shahzad in a statement on Monday. He said that doctors at LGH were also tortured by relatives of a patient which could be seen on CCTV footage.

The YDA leaders' however, had claimed that young doctors withdrew services only from the OPDs and continued providing healthcare services to the patients in emergency, indoor and operation theatres. They said that culprits in both incidents had not been arrested so far and announced continuing strike until the culprits were arrested and foolproof security system was ensured in the hospitals.

Meanwhile, leaders of YDA Mayo Hospital claimed that a patient of nasal injury slapped an X-Ray technician in emergency ward for not giving protocol to him. “At that time X-Ray technician was busy in entertaining firearm injury patient,” they claimed, adding complete strike was observed in Mayo Hospital OPD to show solidarity with doctors of Sargodha, who were brutally tortured by goons of an MNA. They demanded an FIR and arrest of MNA and reinstatement of PG, who was terminated just because of not giving him extra protocol. “No compromise will be made over dignity of white coat and declaration of hospitals as zero-tolerance zones,” they said, and welcomed the initiative taken by Lady Wellington Hospital and Lady Aitchison Hospital in supporting them in the fight for this injustice with the dignified white coat bearers.

The Punjab government remained oblivious to the plight of people, especially the patients and made no alternative arrangements. Even seniors stayed away from duties and there was no one to listen to the suffering humanity. Neither any representative of the health department nor of the government tried to negotiate and convince doctors to resume duties at OPDs.