ATH doctors continue strike on 3rd day

ABBOTTABAD: The doctors continued strike at the Ayub Teaching Hospital (ATH) on the 3rd consecutive day on Thursday as none of the officials including Board of Governors (BoG) members contacted them to resolve the issue.

Dr Zaheer Abbass, Pakistan Doctors Association (PDA) secretary for Ayub Teaching Hospital, told The News that they managed to hold OPD in a tent from 9am to 2pm where over 2,000 patients were examined.

The PDA office-bearer said the doctors demands included closure of doctors hostel outside the hospital premises, inquiry to determine the cause of death of Dr Faisal in the hostel and compensation to his family, accountability of BoG and all the senior managers and shifting of gynae and paediatrics ward to the new building.

He said the patients in gynecology and paediatrics wards were badly suffering due to shortage of beds whereas newly constructed building for the purpose had been lying vacant since long for which all the equipment had already been purchased.

A great rush was witnessed at all the OPDs arranged at tents in the lawn of the ATH. Patients were examined in the open air. Banners & posters were displayed in all the tents OPDs against the BoG and hospital administration and other demands of the doctors. Meanwhile, the PDA sent a letter to BoG chairman of the Medical Teaching Institute Abbottabad and brought the protest and the demands into his notice.