YDA strike worsens patients’ plight

LAHORE

Young Doctors Association (YDA), Punjab, has observed complete strike in Out-Patient Departments (OPDs) of public sector hospitals in Punjab on Saturday against Central Induction Policy for admissions to postgraduate programmes.

The local chapters of YDA observed complete strike in Services Hospital, Jinnah Hospital, Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore General Hospital, Children’s Hospital, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and Punjab Dental Hospital. However, the OPDs in Mayo Hospital, Lady Wellingdon Hospital and Lady Aitchison Hospital remained functional as young doctors continued to discharge their duties as usual – thanks to the suspension of YDA’s chapter in Mayo Hospital.

The OPD strike in hospitals multiplied the plight of poor patients as they returned in utter despair due to non-availability of treatment services. Although majority of patients returned in extreme disappointment, some of them were; however, compensated in emergency wards and indoor wards.

The efforts of administration of different hospitals; however, failed to bring any relief to the patients as senior doctors, AMS/DMS discharged duties in outdoor wards temporarily.

The YDA, Punjab, Senior Vice-President Dr Atif Majeed said that YDA held a marathon round of negotiations with Prof Dr Asad Aslam Khan, Head of Mayo Hospital, and Raja Mansoor, Deputy Secretary Health (Admn) a day before Saturday’s OPD strike, but the outcome remained inconclusive as parties failed to evolve a consensus on policy.

“The Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department changed five out of the total nine points agreed between the two parties, which caused failure in developing a consensus on the final draft of the policy,” he said, adding that such tactics forced YDA to go ahead with its scheduled OPD strike in hospitals across Punjab.

He claimed that there was complete strike in outdoor wards of all hospitals of Lahore and other districts of Punjab except in Mayo Hospital, Lady Wellingdon Hospital and Lady Aitchison Hospital where a partial strike was observed due to suspension of YDA’s Mayo Hospital chapter. He said no officials of SHC&ME or a representative of government had contacted any leader of YDA so far, adding that the government had two days’ time during official holidays of Sunday and Monday to fulfill YDA’s demands; otherwise, YDA would continue its strike in outdoor wards with effect from Tuesday (December 13, 2016).

Reaction on YDA strike 

Majority doctors reject YDA's strike call

By Our Corresponden

LAHORE

Provincial Minister for Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Punjab Khawaja Salman Rafique has said that majority of young doctors has rejected the strike call by a group of young doctors in outpatient department of government hospitals on Saturday and majority of junior doctors along with their seniors performed their duties with a spirit of service to ailing humanity and provided medical treatment to thousands of patients in tertiary care hospitals. Kh Salman Rafique said these doctors were the real Masiha which should be appreciated.

According to a handout issued here on Saturday, Khawaja Salman Rafique, in a statement, said the government had always taken initiatives for the development of health sector and the betterment of the doctor community. He said Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had given special pay package of billions of rupees for young doctors and created more than 10,000 new vacancies for the doctors; therefore, the majority of the doctor community was quite satisfied but unfortunately, a group of young doctors were politicising non-issues and trying to interrupt smooth working of the hospitals.

Salman Rafique said the government had introduced Punjab Residency Programme for PG doctors to ensure a transparent and merit-based system in the admission of PGRs to provide opportunities for talented and deserving students to come forward. The minister said that Residency Admission Committee, after consultation with all the stakeholders had already incorporated feasible and practicable proposals in the policy document; therefore, the protest and strike had become meaningless.

The minister observed that due to the strike call of group of young doctors only five to 10 percent working in OPD had been affected and due to the announcement of strike the turnover of the patients was slightly less.

According to the data obtained from various hospitals, in Mayo Hospital 5,296 patients visited OPD, in Services Hospital 1,574, in LGH 2,915, Jinnah Hospital 2,175, Punjab Institute of Cardiology 1,732, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital 1,051, Children Hospital 1,481, Allied Hospital, Faisalabad 2,300, DHQ Hospital, Faisalabad 1,173, Bahawal Victoria Hospital 3,751, Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi 1,462, District Headquarters Hospital, Rawalpindi 1,507, Benazir Bhutto Hospital 1,500, Nishtar Hospital, Multan 2,700 and in Dental Hospital, Lahore 325 patients had been provided medical treatment by the doctors.