Strike at OPDs continues as YDA rejects constitution of committee

Rawalpindi : Young doctors, nurses and paramedics continued strike at the outpatients departments of public sector hospitals across province on sixth consecutive day while rejected the constitution of a committee formed by the government of Punjab on Tuesday ‘to deliberate on the proposed Medical Teaching Institution Reforms Act, 2019’.

Thousands of patients visiting OPDs of public sector hospitals in the province including the three allied hospitals in town have been suffering badly since May 2 due to the strike on the call of Young Doctors Association Punjab.

The administrations of Rawalpindi Medical University and allied hospitals have been trying to accommodate patients at the OPDs with the help of consultants and doctors employed at the hospitals but the absence of young doctors, particularly postgraduate trainees is irking a great number of patients at OPDs.

Young Doctors Association, Young Nurses Association and Paramedics Association have constituted a health employees alliance for the strike and to restrict government from implementing MTI Reforms Act in hospitals across province.

On Tuesday, the Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education Department constituted a committee with immediate effect comprising Special Secretary SHC & ME Department, vice chancellors of King Edward Medical University and Fatima Jinnah Medical University Lahore, Principal Services Institute of Medical Sciences Lahore and two representatives of Pakistan Medical Association along with inviting two representatives of YDA to deliberate on the proposed MTI Reforms Act.

The notification issued by the SHC & ME Department says the committee shall furnish its recommendations within one week however the YDA has rejected the constitution of the committee saying the government should not include PMA representatives in the committee.

The PMA is not a stake holder in the matter of implementation of MTI Act nor it is part of the doctors who are on strike, said YDA President at Benazir Bhutto Hospital Dr. Rana Azeem while talking to ‘The News’ on Tuesday.

He said the YDA has rejected the constitution of the committee and would continue strike till fulfillment of its demands. The YDA has given a deadline to the government asking if its demands remain unmet till Thursday, the young doctors along with nurses and paramedics would withdraw services from indoor departments, he said.

He said after implementation of MTI Reforms Act, the poor patients have to pay at least 200 to 300 per cent charges as compared to the existing fee on all services at the public sector hospitals including diagnostic and treatment facilities and YDA would not allow government to do so.

It is important that under the MTI Act, the public sector hospitals would be run by a board of governors and the civil service law would be abolished while doctors and paramedical staff would be inducted through a new service structure on a three-year contract or so.