Doctors, paramedics’ strike enters 16th day

MULTAN: The doctors, paramedics and nurses on Saturday observed a complete strike for the 16th consecutive day here.

They also took out rallies against the Medical Teaching Institutions Act and the Punjab government for refusing to hold dialogues with the protesting health professionals.

The protesting doctors at the Nishtar Hospital closed the OPD, operation theatre and radiology wards, which resulted in miseries for the patients at the hospital.

The patients said that they had been visiting the hospitals for the last many days and facing immense difficulties in conducting their surgeries.

The civil society also joined the health professionals’ protest and announced their support to their demands. The health professionals, lawyers and civil society members also observed a sit-in at Chowk Kutchehry, which created traffic mess on the Circular Road.

Later, the Grand Health Alliance took out a rally led by Pakistan Medical Association president Prof Dr Masoodur Rauf Haraj, which started from Nishtar Medical Health University and after passing through Nishtar Road, Kalma Chowk and Sports Ground culminated at Chowk Kutchehry.

Office-bearers and members of the DBA led by Irfan Haidar Shamsi, Naveed Hashmi and Babar also joined the health professionals’ protest rally and demanded the government withdrawal from the MTI and hold dialogues with the protesting health professionals.

The protestors alleged that Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid was creating hurdles to stop dialogues between the government and the doctors. They demanded the government take back the Medical Teaching Institute (MTI) Act.

PMA president Prof Dr Masoodur Rauf Haraj strongly condemned the promulgation of the MTI Act. He said that the grand alliance of young doctors, nurses and paramedics would continue their protest till acceptance of their demands.

YDA Punjab president Dr Qasim Awan also condemned the MTI Act and said it was against the interests of patients and doctors. He said that the doctors’ community had serious reservations against the MTI Act.

Senior members of the GHA, including Dr Khurram Leghari, Dr Abid Kanjoo, Dr Asif Khan Niazi, Dr Zulqarnain Haider, Dr Sheikh Abdul Khaliq, PMA general secretary Dr Rana Khawar and Prof Dr Shahid Rao also spoke.

DBA senior member Syed Irfan Haider Shamsi saluted doctors, paramedics and nurses for launching their struggle against the MTI Act. He condemned the government for refusing to hold dialogues with the protesting doctors. He said that the government would not be allowed to privatise government hospitals.

Meanwhile, the Nishtar Hospital management has issued show-cause notices to 73 doctors and paramedics. However, the doctors burnt the notices in protest.

FAISALABAD: The strike of young doctors, paramedics and nurses against the promulgation of the MTI Act on Saturday continued for the 17th day here.

After closing down the OPDs, laboratories, X-ray and pathology departments, the young doctors and paramedics of the Allied (Divisional Headquarter Hospital)and District Headquarter Hospital (DHQ) gathered in front of both the government-run hospitals and staged a sit-in. They raised slogans against the government for enactment of the MTI Act under which the young doctors had been debarred to get employment in the government-run hospitals in Punjab and the government decision to privatise all the state-run hospitals in the province.

Addressing the participants of the sit-in, Young Doctors Association general secretary Dr Maruf Vains and vice president Dr Muhammad Irfan reiterated that the young doctors and paramedics of the government-run hospitals in Punjab would continue their agitation till withdrawal of the MTI Act. Later, they also took out a protest walk on Jail Road and chanted slogans against the government.

They expressed their determination to continue their protest till the acceptance of their demands.