YDA protests hospitals privatisation policy

LAHORE
The Young Doctors Association (YDA), Punjab, held protest demonstrations in front of mega teaching hospitals of provincial metropolis and other cities in Punjab on Wednesday against government’s policy of privatisation of health facilities in 10 districts of the province.
However, there is a clear division within young doctors as some of them opposed YDA’s stance against ‘less important’ issue of privatisation of hospitals in 10 districts and ignoring the ‘immediate’ issue of increase in salaries of doctors. “The YDA has taken a firm stance against privatisation of health facilities in Punjab, whose even notification is not yet issued, while it has clearly ignored the issue of raising demand of increase in salaries of doctors,” opined Dr Hamid Butt, former President of YDA, Punjab.
The young doctors of Mayo Hospital, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Services Hospital and Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Children’s Hospital and Lahore General Hospital, Shaikh Zayed Hospital and Jinnah Hospital blocked major roads, which virtually crippled the traffic flow and caused tremendous problems for the commuters on the roads. The young doctors also held strike and protest demonstrations in front of tertiary care hospitals in all major cities in the province.
The YDA leaders, including 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, Dr Tajammal Butt and others led the protest at different locations. They were carrying banners and placards inscribed with their demands and chanting slogans against the government for depriving doctors of their rights and privatisation of hospitals in the province. “Say no to privatisation. Our hospitals are not for sale,” were some of the slogans written on banners, while young doctors also condemned torture by police on peaceful protesting young doctors in Islamabad the other day.
The young doctors’ strike caused a great deal of problems for patients in hospitals as work in OPDs was partially shut and several minor operations were postponed. Besides, the closure of roads created massive inconvenience for the people, while several ambulances were also stuck in traffic.
They young doctors demanded reversal of Punjab government’s policy of privatisation of health facilities in the province; fulfillment of promise of increase in salaries of doctors across the board; free hostel rooms for doctors; and provision of already sanctioned 1,500 paid posts for postgraduate trainees in the province.