ATH doctors to return to work today

ABBOTTABAD: Doctors at the Ayub Teaching Hospital will return to work today (Monday) after the hospital administration accepted some of their demands.

Representatives of the doctors, headed by the association president Dr Aminullah Afridi, met Medical Director Dr Salim Afzal and Hospital Director Brig (r) Muhammad Ajmal and ended the protest.

The agreement, signed by the medical director and hospital director, a copy available with The News, stated that compensation of Rs3 million shall be paid to the father of the deceased Dr Faisal. Also, the foundation stone for the proposed new doctors’ hostel shall be laid after three weeks, which will be named after Dr Faisal.

An oversight committee has also been constituted to look after the institutional affairs that will include the members of BoG and the nominated doctors. Although the agreement is silent over the timeframe for the shifting of doctors to new hostel and construction of the new building, the media manager of the ATH in a statement stated that “to address the problem of the accommodation of doctors, foundation stone will be laid in three weeks’ time and the same will be constructed as and when the funds are available or provided by the provincial government.”

The statement said the doctors would be shifted from private hostels to the hospital premises, for which necessary renovations have been ordered. The furnished accommodation will be provided to them by the middle of April 2017.