PMA decides to continue struggle against reforms

PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Friday distanced itself from the agreement reached between the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and a group of doctors and health workers and decided to continue its political and legal fight against the Medical Teaching Institutions Reforms Act 2015.

Talking to reporters here, PMA president Dr Hussain Ahmad Haroon said that he had joined the Health Employees Coordination Council (HECC) to work for rights of the poor patients as well as doctors and health workers in the government-run hospitals.

He said they had formed a 13-member committee, one member from each of the 13 forums, to negotiate with the government and make unanimous decisions.Dr Haroon, however, said he was not taken into confidence when a group of doctors and health workers were invited for talks with Chief Minister Pervez Khattak on Thursday.

He said that instead of 13-member committee, only nine people, all belonging to Lady Reading Hospital (LRH), held a meeting with the chief minister and called off strike.He said representatives of forums of the doctors were also not taken into confidence before meeting the chief minister, who has no role to play in the medical and teaching institutions after implementation of MTI Act 2015.

Dr Haroon said they had set 10-point agenda while the group of doctors agreed only on three demands of the medical community.Also, he said the doctors achieved nothing from this meeting as the government didn’t agree with them about rollback of the Postgraduate Medical Institute (PGMI).

Dr Haroon said he and his colleagues would continue their struggle against what he called “the system against patients and health workers.” He said he would oppose IBP and dissolution of PGMI.

He said they demanded free treatment, drugs and investigations for all the indoor patients, protection of service of civil and institutional employees and removal of Dr Nausherwan Burki, chairman BoG LRH. He said he would challenge transfer orders of all heath workers at the court.