Police use water cannons, tear gas to prevent protesting doctors from entering GOR-1 in Lahore

LAHORE: The YDA staged a protest rally in the provincial metropolis Tuesday.  As soon as the young doctors started moving towards the GOR-I, the police baton-charged the doctors, used water cannon and tear-gassed them to prevent their entry into the high-security zone. The young doctors also tried to scuffle with the police just to ‘play victim’ after being tortured, but the police acted wisely and didn’t beat the protesters. However, the police managed to push them back on Jail Road. 

The long march and call for closure of hospitals by leaders of Young Doctors Association (YDA), Punjab, turned counterproductive that showed cracks within its ranks as majority of young doctors didn’t respond to their desperate calls to suspend treatment services in hospitals. 

“Majority of young doctors has thwarted YDA leadership’s attempt to disrupt healthcare services in hospitals especially as they themselves are facing corruption, interference in administrative matters of hospitals and other charges,” said a young doctor of the Mayo Hospital, where young doctors completely alienated themselves from the YDA’s long march and continued discharging their duties in the hospital. 

Earlier, YDA leadership and activists, especially from other districts than those from hospitals from Lahore, gathered in Services Hospital Tuesday noon and started marching towards Punjab Institute of Cardiology to enter GOR-I. 

The young doctors were carrying banners and placards, inscribed with their demands, and shouting slogans against the Punjab government and Secretary Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education (SHC&ME) Department, which also caused traffic jam on Jail Road.

“We want Secretary of SHC&ME Najam Ahmad Shah, who is a non-medical professional, to be replaced with a doctor, who will have a better understanding of the intricacies of the health sector in the province.