YDA Punjab to resume work at emergency wards

LAHORE: The Young Doctors Association (YDA), Punjab, has managed only partial strike in hospitals of Punjab especially in Lahore Wednesday as it failed to draw a favorable response from majority of young doctors. 

The YDA leadership is gradually losing its writ within young doctors’ community as it reduced itself to only few hospitals, as young doctors in major hospitals of Lahore rejected the strike and continued discharging their duties in emergency, indoor and outdoor wards. 

A partial strike was observed in Services Hospital, Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Jinnah Hospital and Punjab Dental Hospital, where services in outdoor wards were disrupted and minor operations were postponed and healthcare services in indoor wards were affected. The poor patients suffered the brunt of obstinacy of YDA’s leadership as most of the patients were running from pillar to post to get the required treatment. “The young doctors are using poor patients as shield for fulfillment of their fair and unfair demands in its tussle with the government and health department,” said Muhammad Afzal, an attendant of an elderly patient in Services Hospital, who came to seek treatment for his father. 

The YDA leadership proudly flaunted pictures of empty wards in Services Hospital on social media like facebook and WhatsApp groups to claim success of their strike. The YDA, however, displayed banners in all hospitals, inscribed with their demands, mainly targeting SHC&ME Secretary Najam Ahmad Shah. 

The emergency services, however, remained effective in these hospitals without any disruption. The administrations of these hospitals acted and tried to make alternate arrangements for ensuring smooth provision of treatment to the patients. 

The young doctors in Mayo Hospital, Lady Wellington Hospital, Lady Aitchison Hospital, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore General Hospital and Children’s Hospital, Kot Khawaja Saeed Hospital, Nawaz Sharif Hospital, Yakki Gate, Govt Said Mitha Hospital, Govt Shahdara Hospital in Lahore continued treatment services without much hiccups. “The majority of young doctors have distanced themselves from the strike call of YDA’s leadership, which is using the YDA’s platform to protect their vested interests and get certain leaders, who were facing serious allegations, absolved of the charges,” said one of the young doctors in Mayo Hospital, saying that the young doctors were continuing healthcare services in the hospital. 

The senior faculty of teaching hospitals including professors/consultants/heads of departments, associate professors, assistant professors as well as principals and medical superintendents discharged duties in indoor and outdoor wards Wednesday. The administrations of teaching hospitals in Lahore have cancelled summer vacations of professors and doctors according to requirements of their respective hospitals. 

On the other hand, there were unconfirmed reports of, at least, certain number deaths of patients in Jinnah Hospital, Lahore, for want of unavailability of treatment services due to young doctors’ strike in the hospital. However, there was no confirmation from either side of hospital administration and YDA, who believed that the daily mortality report was being presented as result of alleged negligence or lack of treatment. 

Meanwhile, Medical Superintendent of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital has deducted one day stipend of four doctors including Dr Aina Mahmood, Postgraduate Resident (PGR) at Medicine Unit-II, Dr Haroon, PGR Surgical Unit-III, Dr Hafiza Amna Mujahid, PGR Surgical Unit-III, and Dr Muhammad Imran, Medical Officer, Orthopaedic Department, for being absent from duty Wednesday, without any prior intimation. He also directed them to be careful in future otherwise disciplinary action will be initiated under the rules. 

Punjab SHC&ME Department has sought from principals and medical superintendents of teaching hospitals of Punjab the lists of protesting doctors and house officers, who remain absent from duties without any valid reason till Wednesday night in order to initiate disciplinary action against them under the rules. 

Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department has also offered to spare services of doctors to perform duties in tertiary care hospitals. 

Minister and secretary for SHC&ME Department along with senior officers and representatives of YDA were holding talks till the filing of this report. According to sources, the YDA representatives narrowed their demands down to exonerating one of their leaders from Multan, who was facing proceedings under Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability (PEEDA) Act 2006, to call off their strike in hospitals of Punjab. 

Talking to The News, Minister for SHC&ME Kh Salman Rafiq said the department had engaged YDA’s leadership in a meaningful talk to resolve the matter amicably in the best interest of the poor patients in the province. He said the department would not withdraw disciplinary action against young doctors. 

Punjab Specialised Healthcare & Medical Education (SHC&ME), Department constituted two separate committees to probe the matter of death of two patients in Lahore and one death of a patient in Faisalabad allegedly due to lack of treatment in the wake of young doctors’ strike in hospitals. 

According to separate notifications issued by SHC&ME Department, the first committee, comprising Prof Dr Irshad Hussain, Professor of Medicine from KEMU/Mayo Hospital, (convener) and Prof Dr Sajid Obaidullah, Professor of Medicine from KEMU/Mayo Hospital, (member), is tasked to probe the death of two patients - one in Services Hospital and one in Jinnah Hospital allegedly due to strike of YDA on 1.8.17. 

The second committee, comprising Prof Dr Anjum Jalal, executive director, Faisalabad Institute of Cardiology, (convener) and Prof Dr Khalid Ameen, Professor of Medicine from DHQ Hospital Faisalabad/Faisalabad Institute of Cardiology, (member), is tasked to probe the death of a patient in Allied Hospital in Faisalabad allegedly due to strike of YDA on 1.8.17. The two committees will start probe immediately and submit their comprehensive recommendations within next 24 hours. 

Monitoring Desk adds: Four people have died at the Allied Hospital between Tuesday and Wednesday, the two days of young doctors’ strike across Punjab, reports Geo News.  Not only in Faisalabad, the medics of YDA have left patients suffering at many hospitals across Punjab on the second day of their strike Wednesday. 

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has taken notice of the deaths that have occurred at the Allied Hospital of Faisalabad during the two days of the strike.  According to hospital sources, the chief minister has ordered for forming an inquiry committee and report over the incident should be submitted within 24 hours. 

According to the TV, the striking doctors have agreed to resume duty at the emergency wards. However, the talks would continue today (Thursday). However, the talks would continue today.   According to hospital sources, the chief minister has ordered for forming an inquiry committee and report over the incident should be submitted within 24 hours.