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Tuesday March 19, 2024

Patients suffer as doctors’ strike at ATH enters eighth day

By Syed Kosar Naqvi
May 31, 2017

ABBOTTABAD: The patients continue to suffer as the doctors’ strike at the Ayub Teaching Hospital (ATH) continued for the eighth consecutive day on Tuesday.

The management of Ayub Teaching Hospital, local administration as well as elected representatives including Special Assistant to Chief Minister for Higher Education Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani had failed to persuade the doctors to end the strike.

Addressing the general body meeting at the ATH, Young Doctors Association President Dr Amin Afridi and others claimed that the agitation against the corruption would continue till the initiation of an independent inquiry and action against plunderers of the hospital funds.

“We will expose those who have been involved in embezzlement and unlawful practices in Ayub Medical Institute,” Amin Afridi said while quoting Special Assistant to Chief Minister Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani, who during a meeting with the protesting doctors, had declared ATH as one of the worst hospitals of the province.

Professors, Associate and Assistant Professors and Registrars including Dr Aftab Rabbani, Dr Umar Hayat, Dr Salma Kundi, Dr Mukhtiar, Dr Khalid Khan, Dr Naeem Razaque Durrani, Dr Iftikhar, Dr Ahsan Aurangezeb and others also attended the meeting.

While hot words were also reportedly exchanged between Dr Salma Kundi and Dr Umar Hayat over the sufferings of patients.The next meeting was scheduled to be held on Thursday at 11am where future line of action would be decided.

Dr Majid of YDA said that the Board of Governors had given them a cold shoulder response as they never honour their decisions, forcing them to go on strike.He alleged gross irregularities in the appointments and termed it a struggle for betterment of the institution.

Professor Dr Salma Kundi, who is the wife of Dr Azhar Jadoon, MNA from NA-17 Abbottabad, while addressing the gathering, claimed that BoG had become a white elephant.She said that objectives of the MTI reforms could not be achieved, adding, that the secretary BoG has been getting Rs0.3 million from the exchequer who was provided the prized job without applying.

Dr Aftab Rabbani claimed that the BoG had proved to be incompetent and College of Dentistry & Gynecology & Paeds wards could not become operational.Dr Khalid Khan pointed out that on one hand a senior professor in grade 21 is getting salary of Rs150,000 per month while on other hand secretary BoG, a stenographer, was being given Rs300,000 per month.

Meanwhile, the Hospital management claimed that most of the agenda items of doctors on strike were not pertinent to the Ayub Medical Institute (AMI). It said the compensation to the deceased doctor has already settled after the approval of BoG.

A cheque for Rs1 million has been ready for payment while remaining Rs2 million request was made to the provincial government for approval, said an official.Similarly, three members committee has been proposed to BoG for sustainable implementation of biometric in the institution. Hospital administration claimed that due to the Young doctors strike, they have been making all efforts and additional arrangements to facilitate the patients.