Doctors at ATH Abbottabad stage protest to highlight demands

ABBOTTABAD: The doctors at the Ayub Teaching Hospital (ATH) here observed protest after expiry of the deadline given by them for acceptance of their demands.

The demands included the payment of compensation to a deceased doctor, shifting of doctors’ hostel inside the hospital premises and accountability of the Board of Governors (BoG) for allegedly making illegal appointments of senior managers.

The Provincial Doctors Association (PDA) adopted a novel way to facilitate the patients by establishing all out-patients departments (OPDs) in tents in the lawn of the hospital.

The issue became complicated when the Chairman BoG reportedly refused to meet the doctors.The hospital administration has failed to cope with the issue as doctors have refused to meet the ‘powerless’ senior managers i.e. hospital director and medical director.

PDA President Dr Ameenullah Afridi told The News that doctors were forced to announce the strike after failure of the hospital administration to meet their genuine demands.He said their demands included an inquiry into the death of Dr Faisal who was found dead in Musharraf Hostel that was rented by the management of the ATH. He said the family of the deceased doctor should be paid compensation.

Dr Ameenullah Afridi said that despite repeated demands the hospital administration didn’t bother to construct doctors’ hostel on the premises of the ATH and make security arrangements for the doctors.

Despite their protest, the doctors examined patients in the tents put up the lawn of ATH. They also displayed banners and posters carrying slogans against the hospital administration and highlighting their demands.