YDA Punjab calls off strike after two weeks

LAHORE: The Young Doctors Association (YDA), Punjab, resumed healthcare services in public sector hospitals on Tuesday after two weeks of strike in the province.

The YDA announced resumption of outdoor and indoor services after 14 days and withdrew the call for closure of emergency with effect from August 15 after negotiating the withdrawal of action against the leadership and activists involved in agitation instead of gaining for the doctors’ community or patients’ welfare in the province. The patients heaved a sigh of relief as the young doctors took charge of their duties in outdoor and indoor wards and provided treatment to the patients rendered helpless in public sector hospitals during the last two weeks.

The YDA’s central leadership drew flak from the young doctors’ community as they felt let down by their leadership while denying the healthcare services and multiplying the miseries of the poor patients already crumbling by disease and poverty.

On the recommendation of the Dialogue Committee comprising Prof Dr Sardar Muhammad Al Fareed Zafar, Vice Chancellor, FMU, Faisalabad (Convener), Prof Dr Junaid Sarfraz Khan, Vice Chancellor, UHS, Lahore, and Prof Dr Khalid Masood Gondal, Chairman, Department of Surgery, KEMU, Lahore, which continuously held meetings with YDA representatives with effect from July 29, 2017 and onward, the Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education (SHC&ME) Department decided to refer the cases of action taken against different doctors during the strike to respective Academic Councils for review.

In partial modification of earlier orders, regular MOs/SMOs will report to SHC&ME Department. Once they are cleared by respective Academic Councils, they will be posted back in same institute preferably within two weeks. In this regard, the SHC&ME also constituted a Conflict Resolution Committee, which comprised the same members as in Dialogue Committee with the addition of Additional Secretary (Admn), SHC&ME Department.

The YDA, Punjab, President Dr Maroof Vaince and President JHL chapter Dr Amir Sohail, who signed the agreement, said that YDA had acknowledged different initiatives taken by the department under the leadership of Secretary Health Najam Ahmad Shah and strongly condemned unethical words used against him by some young doctors during the campaign. “Under the current leadership of the department, YDA will extend its full support for all positive measures and reforms for rapid growth of the healthcare sector. YDA is thankful to the minister and the secretary SHC&ME and teachers for their sincere efforts to resolve the problems of the young doctors,” they added.

The department feels that young doctors are an asset to the nation and they would contribute to better service delivery in healthcare.While giving recommendations on the demands of YDA for necessary action, the committee responded on the issue of burn centres that a committee has been constituted that is looking into the demands of burn centres in Punjab. Deliberations are being done on the issue and the recommendations of the committee will be followed.

On the issue of deputing of lady doctors as ushers to facilitate VVIPs during a ceremony to inaugurate Power Plant in Sahiwal, the committee suggested that the issue was basically between the local administration and hospital/medical college management. As soon as the issue was brought to the notice of the SHC&ME department, it took a prompt action and issued immediate notifications to all teaching institutions across Punjab to ensure that no
female doctor and female student should be deputed other than official healthcare services. A prompt action was also taken against the individuals responsible for the Sahiwal incident. The SHC&ME Department has requested S&GAD for a joint inquiry under PEEDA Act against the DMS and both Assistant Commissioners.

On the core issue of security in hospitals, SHC&ME Department is concerned about it and has therefore developed a draft bill named “Hospitals (Protection against Violence) Act 2017. The Act shall provide protection to all healthcare professionals at all healthcare delivery establishments in the province.

A stakeholder conference is convened including representatives of YDA, where draft of the legislation will be handed over to the stakeholders.On the issue of MOs selected through PPSC 2013, the government has set up a committee around two weeks ago under the chairmanship of Prof Dr Aftab Mohsin, Principal Gujranwala Medical College, to look into the matter in detail and give recommendations at the earliest. A joint meeting of the committee with PG Induction Committee will be convened.

On the matter of ad hoc MO regularisation, the committee recommends that an advice will be sought from regulation wing S&GAD in consultation with P&SHC Department regarding the MOs/WMOs, who have served at least two years on ad hoc basis.

With regard to reservations of YDA regarding induction policy for postgraduate trainees, the committee recommended that the postgraduate committee notified in each training institute coop members from postgraduate trainees. The institutional postgraduate committee shall work out PG training program issues. These recommendations, after discussion in Academic Council, will be sent to PG Admission Committee for deliberations,review/improvement/revision as deemed appropriate by the committee and will be incorporated in subsequent inductions.

The best postgraduate trainee should be part of postgraduate training committee constituted at UHS, Lahore. The committee shall present its feedback to the university to improve postgraduate induction, training and evaluation. Secretary of the committee shall be deputy registrar of the university. Based on the feedback, the postgraduate admission committee will deliberate on different issues. Induction will be twice a year with an annual 10 per cent increase in the province to be reviewed after two years.

With regard to promotion from MO/WMO to Senior Registrar (SR), a meeting under the P&SHC minister will be convened to expedite the promotion from MOs to SRs. “The Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) for at least 5/6 specialty promotion cases will be held in next 45 days,” the committee recommended.