Doctors’ protest troubles patients, road users

LAHORE
Young Doctors Association (YDA) Thursday launched a protest movement by blocking major thoroughfares in all districts of the province for the rights of doctors and against the proposed privatisation of public health facilities in the province.
The Punjab government took the YDA’s threat of protest lightly following which the young doctors allegedly punished patients in hospitals and general public on roads. The government has neither implemented the demands of the young doctors nor tried to engage them in a meaningful dialogue after the YDA’s call for protest a couple of weeks ago.
The YDA under the leadership of Dr Amir Bandesha, Dr Ajmal, Dr Adnan, Dr Abid Abbas, Dr Umer Shah, Dr Asif, Dr Usman Maan, Dr Khuzema, Dr Ali Dogar, Dr Shoaib Niazi, Dr Khurram Shahzad, Dr Tajammal Butt, Dr Saud and others virtually closed the provincial metropolis. The young doctors carrying banners and placards chanted slogans against the government for allegedly depriving doctors of their rights and condemned the government for not implementing service structure.
The young doctors of Mayo Hospital, de’Montmorency College of Dentistry/Punjab Dental Hospital and Sir Ganga Ram Hospital blocked The Mall on single side in front of Punjab Assembly, young doctors of Services Hospital and Punjab Institute of Cardiology blocked Jail Road on both sides, young doctors from Children’s Hospital and Lahore General Hospital blocked Ferozepur Road on both sides in front of their respective portions, while young doctors from Shaikh Zayed Hospital and Jinnah Hospital blocked Canal Road on single side from 10 am to 1 pm, which virtually crippled the traffic flow and caused tremendous problems for the commuters. The YDA’s chapters in each district blocked main roads in Faisalabad, Multan, Gujrat, Rawalpindi, DG Khan, and Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Sargodha and other major cities in the province.
The young doctors’ strike caused a great deal of problems for the patients in hospitals as healthcare services in OPDs indoor wards remained partially suspended and minor operations were postponed. The patients were the worst affected as they had incurred a lot of expenses only to get disappointment over denial of treatment in public sector hospitals. The closure of roads created massive inconvenience for people, who remained stuck in traffic for hours, consumed a lot of fuel and reached late on their destinations in hot and humid weather. A lot of ambulances were also seen stuck in traffic and found it extremely difficult to make their way to emergencies of nearby hospitals.
The YDA leaders, however, claimed that young doctors didn’t hold a strike in hospitals or disrupt healthcare services in hospitals as half of doctors’ strength continued to provide healthcare services to the patients in emergency, indoor and outdoor wards of their respective hospitals. But patients were seen running from pillar to post to get the required treatment.
Young doctors demanded reversal of Punjab government’s policy of phase-wise privatisation of health facilities in the province, implementation of service structure for doctors, promotions and increase of Rs 12,000 in salaries of doctors across the board, free hostels for doctors and provision of already sanctioned 1,100 paid posts for postgraduate trainees. They demanded resolution of dental cadre issues and PGMI/Shaikh Zayed Hospital’s MS/MD programme’s affiliation with King Edward Medical University, resolution issues with Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) and improvement of healthcare and supply of medicines in health facilities and security in hospitals.
They vowed to continue their weekly protest till fulfilment of their demands and the date for protest next week will be announced soon.