Ayub Medical Institute BoG holds talks with protesting doctors today

ABBOTTABAD: The Board of Governors (BoG) of the Ayub Medical Institute is holding talks with the representatives of the Young Doctors Association today.

The members of the Young Doctors Association have been on strike for the last nine days at the Ayub Teaching Hospital (ATH).Sources in ATH told The News that Chairman BoG Javed Panni had constituted a special committee consisting three members of the board for final dialogue with the protesting doctors.

The committee members would come from Islamabad as they had moved the BoG Secretariat to the federal capital. The BoG has taken the decision after intervention by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa health minister.

Deputy Secretary (Admin) Health Department in a letter addressed to Board of Governors clearly stated that the health minister had taken notice of the fact that media was reporting about the strike at the ATH and directed the BoG and hospital administration to take measures to bring the situation under control through negotiations.

The letter further stated that “in case they fail, requisite punitive measures may be taken to restore services in the hospital.”Young Doctors Association President Dr Amin Afridi has confirmed that they have been approached by the BoG through hospital administration for dialogue.

He claimed that they had already held meetings with divisional and district administration, elected representatives including local MNA Dr Azhar Jadoon and local MPA and Special Assistant to Chief Minister Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani and others but no one assured them about the fulfillment of their demands.

He said the young doctors would not end the protest unless action was taken against the elements involved in malpractices and corruption. He added they had convened the general body meeting of all the doctors of Ayub Medical Institute for today at 11am for future line of action.Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Abbottabad Aurangzeb Haider imposed section 144 in the jurisdiction of Ayub Medical Institute.