YDA condemns SHC&MED for changing criteria of marks

LAHORE : The Young Doctors Association (YDA) has condemned Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department (SHC&MED) for changing the criteria of marks just before the admissions for specialization under Punjab Residency Programme.

“The move to change the criteria of marks just before the admissions reeks of favouritism and nepotism,” alleged Dr Salman Haseeb, President YDA, Punjab, while addressing a press conference on Saturday. Besides, YDA, Punjab, Chairman Dr Khizer Hayat Gondal, Senior Vice President Dr Shoaib Niazi, President Punjab Dental Hospital chapter Dr Ahmad Tazeem, President Jinnah Hospital Dr Aqib Javed, Vice Chairman Services Hospital Dr Jaffer Naqvi, President Services Hospital Dr Mudassar Nawaz Ashrafi, Dr Zeeshan Noor, Dr Imran Bhatti and others leaders from different hospitals were present.

The Young Doctors Association leaders also condemned irregularities, violation of merit and nepotism during appointments of Senior Registrars and Assistant Professors through Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC).

They called for immediate revocation of all lists of Punjab Public Service Commission appointments over glaring irregularities in the process, and demanded to identify and penalize the responsible forthwith.

They condemned the government for imposing ban on Punjab Public Service Commission appointments and ad hoc employments, and demanded immediate reversal of ban on such postings for doctors.

The Young Doctors Association leaders rejected enforcement of Medical Teaching Institutions (Reforms) Act, 2019 in King Edward Medical University/Mayo Hospital, Lahore and Khawaja Safdar Medical College/Allama Iqbal Memorial Hospital, Sialkot.

“The young doctors will continue their protest until revocation of MTI act,” they added.

They said that the seats for doctors and medical staff from Basic Health Units (BHUs) to mega teaching hospitals have not been increased since 1980, and demanded increasing the number of seats in public sector hospitals in the province. In BHUs, a minimum of three Medical Officers (MOs) and one dental surgeon should be posted, while seats of MOs, consultants, specialists, nurses and paramedical staff should also be enhanced in Rural Health Centres (RHCs), Tehsil Headquarter Hospitals (THQs) and District Headquarter Hospitals (DHQs).

They demanded to establish ICUs, CCUs, Burn Units, Cardiac Units and teaching hospitals at district level in Punjab. They also expressed solidarity with the unemployed doctors and announced to support and participate in their protest sit-in in front of Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department (P&SHD) on February 1, 2021.