LHC shows concern over tabling MTI Act in PA

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Thursday expressed concern over the presentation of Punjab Medical Teaching Institutes (Reforms) Act, 2019 before the Punjab Assembly by the secretary specialised healthcare department.

Justice Jawad Hassan also showed displeasure over the timing of the controversial legislation as the government needed doctors to fight coronavirus pandemic.

The judge was hearing an application seeking contempt proceedings against young doctors for observing strike in violation of an order previously passed by the court. The judge questioned the competency of the health department to present the bill in the assembly. He noted with regret that the doctors were on strike at a time when the government needed their services most. However, representatives of PMA and YDA maintained before the court that doctors were not on strike and fully obeying the order. Justice Hassan observed that the matter was of grave importance and the court would summon the chief minister if deemed necessary. Representing the doctors, Advocate Abid Saqi stated that the government was supposed to present the draft bill before the court as per the previous order; however, it did not do so. He said the court had also ordered the government to take all the stakeholders in confidence before making the legislation but the same had not been done. The judge remarked that the court will see whether its directions had been followed by the government in making the PMTI Act.

The judge summoned advocate general Punjab, secretary specialised healthcare and relevant officials today (Friday).

Judicial Activism Panel’s chairman Advocate Azhar Siddique had filed the application saying agitation and protest by the doctors in government run hospitals had been causing problems and discontinuation of medical facilities to all kinds of patients. He said the court had previously directed the doctors to avoid any call for strike and also restrained them from staging any protest in any form, whatsoever, at any stage, in any hospital. He said the court held the acts by the doctors would tantamount to contempt.

He submitted that the doctors under the banner of Grand Health Alliance (GHA) have been holding protest demonstrations against the new law. The applicant asked the court to initiate contempt proceedings against the doctors for deliberately violating the order.