Doctors, paramedics threaten to block KKH

ABBOTTABAD: The doctors, paramedics and nurses on Wednesday announced to launch a protest and block the Karakoram Highway (KKH) during chief minister’s scheduled visit to Abbottabad tomorrow (Friday).

Teaching faculty of the Ayub Medical College at a meeting decided to join the ongoing strike of the doctors in the KP and would stay away from duty, which would badly affect the teaching as well as clinical activities of the senior doctors and consultants.

A least eight different associations of different cadres of the Ayub Teaching Hospital have announced to hold protest rally and block the KKH during the visit of the Chief Minister Mahmood Khan to Abbottabad.

They demanded the resignation of the provincial health minister, cancellation of the health reforms bill, action against the officials involved in the use of police force against the doctors and removal of Nowsherwan Burki, the architect of the health reforms.

The paramedics representative Habib Shah and Nursing chief Farhat and others also expressed concern over the uncertainty in the entire health sector and asked the provincial government to resolve the issue in the larger interest of the general public.

Similarly, General Secretary of People’s Doctors Forum Dr Daud Iqbal demanded the immediate and unconditional release of doctors.

Talking to media at Ayub Medical Complex, Dr Daud Iqbal said that the government was not ready to accept the genuine demands of the community.

“The so-called health reforms have proven to be anti-patent as the government is trying to make the health organisation as revenue generation departments,” he said, adding, the health and education was the sole responsibility of the state and the government had failed to fulfill its basic and constitutional obligation.

Talking about the ongoing strike of the doctors in the entire KP, PDF secretary said that they would go to any extent and hold protest demo during the visit of the chief minister.