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                        <title>The Express Tribune</title>
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                        <description>The Express Tribune keeps you up to date with all the latest happenings from Pakistan and across the world!</description>
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			<title>Ayub hospital to go on complete strike on Tuesday</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/927514/ayub-hospital-to-go-on-complete-strike-on-tuesday</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/927514/ayub-hospital-to-go-on-complete-strike-on-tuesday#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 27 Jul 15 17:52:47 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[muhammad.sadaqat]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[K-P]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=927514</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Employees to protest against health reforms act, surplus pool]]>
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				<![CDATA[Ayub Teaching Hospital (ATH) in Abbottabad will be on complete strike on Tuesday to protest the health reforms act, the K-P Medical Teaching Institutions Reforms Act, 2015. The out-patient department (OPD), laboratories, operation theatres and radiology will remain closed the entire day. However, emergency services will be available for patients.

The All Employees Coordination Council (AECC) announced this on Monday after a meeting of the nursing staff, technical staff and paramedical staff associations; Pakistan Clerks Association; and Paramedical Association Class IV.

Briefing journalists in Abbottabad, AECC Patron in Chief Habibur Rehman Shah and President Abid Jadoon said in spite of tall claims to revamp the health sector in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the ruling party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, failed to bring a "single improvement in Ayub Teaching Hospital". Shah added the provincial health department had continuously been interfering in the autonomous workings of ATH; in appointments, promotions and day-to-day affairs. "The All Employees Coordination Council has decided to hold a one-day strike in the hospital to protest against the health reforms act which is making employees feel insecure."

They demanded the provincial government withdraw its decision to create a surplus pool from the health employees. Other demands of the AECC include providing service security to all cadres of staff, a GP Fund and pension, and a service structure for employees. Replying to a question, Shah said, "Future strategy will be decided after the provincial employees coordination council meeting in  Peshawar on Tuesday."

Funds but nothing free

Meanwhile, Peoples Doctors Forum (PDF) Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa spokesperson Dr Daud Iqbal bitterly criticized the health structure in the province.

"Billions of rupees are allocated for the health sector annually yet people are not provided with free treatment and medical facilities by government hospitals." The allocated funds for free treatment for cardiology patients at ATH were not utilised due to out-of-order angiography and echo machines, said Iqbal. "The K-P Assembly passed reforms but faces great opposition as the reforms actually hinder the public’s right to free and concessional health care facilities."

Board of governors

The PDF spokesperson expressed concerns about officials who are currently on the board of governors. He claimed all were chosen for political reasons and not merit. "If the government really wants merit-based governors, they have to select board members in a transparent fashion, and not from an imported lot."

The government needs to focus on autonomy in letter &amp; spirit, said Iqbal. "Most board members do not live in the city where they have been appointed and decisions of the hospitals have to be made based on their availability." Similarly, he added, all decisions have to be made in Peshawar, including appointments and promotions.

Challenging reforms

Iqbal pointed out hundreds of employees of public sector hospitals went to court against their own department, including those who have challenged the reforms act. This, in his opinion, clearly shows the resentment in the health sector.

He pointed out there was no provision of a surplus pool in the act but the health managers in Peshawar have harassed thousands of employees "for nothing and have created an embarrassing situation for the government". Iqbal asked the provincial government not to repeat mistakes made by former governor Lt Gen (retd) Iftikhar Hussain Shah when he imposed institution-based private practice (IBP) on doctors without making prior arrangements. Iwbal said public sector hospitals and medical colleges had then been deprived of seasoned and competent doctors as well as teachers who opted to join private institutions.

&nbsp;]]>
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			<title>Doctors’ protest: YDA Punjab president, four others sacked</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/496301/doctors%e2%80%99-protest-yda-punjab-president-four-others-sacked</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/496301/doctors%e2%80%99-protest-yda-punjab-president-four-others-sacked#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 19 Jan 13 23:10:32 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=496301</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Association says young doctors are being victimised, continues OPD boycott.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Health Department sacked Young Doctors Association (YDA) Punjab President Dr Javaid Aheer as well as four YDA members serving in Children’s Hospital, as young doctors continued to boycott services at outpatient departments in public hospitals in the city on Saturday.


The services of Dr Aheer, a medical officer at Jinnah Hospital, were terminated under the Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability Act for absence from duty. YDA Media Secretary Dr Mudassir Razzaq Khan said Dr Aheer hadn’t received a letter for personal hearing, which was a requirement before a government employee could be sacked under the PEEDA Act.

The services of the four doctors at Children’s Hospital were terminated after an initial inquiry conducted by the Health Department found them guilty of beating up OPD employees who refused to join the strike on Thursday, said a departmental spokesman. The doctors are ad hoc medical officers Dr Shadab Masood and Dr Ahmed Zeeshan and ad hoc senior registrars Dr Zeeshan Khan and Dr Sikandar. They were asked to immediately report to the Health Department.

“The Health Department will continue taking action against those who create problems in the provision of health services,” said the spokesman.

The YDA saw the sanctions differently. “Our victimisation is continuing on the pretext of the Gujranwala incident. The bureaucracy has planned everything in advance to get revenge from the YDA,” said an office bearer of the association, referring to violence involving doctors at the Gujranwala district headquarters hospital earlier this month.

Earlier on Saturday, young doctors joined hands with patients at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) and protested against the administration. The patients demanded that they be provided free medicines, which they had not been getting for several weeks. The protest continued for around an hour, after which the PIC administration purchased medicines and gave them to the patients.

YDA members maintained their camps outside the OPDs at public hospitals on Saturday. Dr Khan, the YDA media secretary, said they were examining patients in tents as protest for their alleged victimisation by the bureaucracy.

A Health Department official said that measures were in place to ensure there was no disruption to medical services at public hospitals and things were running smoothly at outpatient departments on the fourth day of the YDA protest.

“Medical superintendents have been asked to ensure patients don’t face any problems in getting treatment at OPDs. Senior doctors have been placed on duty at the OPDs so that things run smoothly. Police have been deputed at hospitals so that the young doctors don’t threaten seniors or misbehave with them,” he said, adding that the YDA had “lost moral authority in the community of doctors”.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 20th, 2013.]]>
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			<title>After 58 days…: Balochistan doctors call off strike</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/479616/after-58-days%e2%80%a6-balochistan-doctors-call-off-strike</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/479616/after-58-days%e2%80%a6-balochistan-doctors-call-off-strike#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 13 Dec 12 20:03:05 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[mohammad.zafar]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Balochistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=479616</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Announcement follows provincial govt’s decision to reinstate all doctors and drop all charges against them.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Protesting doctors in Balochistan called off their 58-day strike on Thursday after the provincial government announced they will be reinstated to their posts, with all charges against them dropped.

“After successful negotiations with the doctors, we have decided that all cases against them will be withdrawn and they will be reinstated,” said provincial health secretary Asmatullah Kakar, at a joint press conference with Pakistan Medical Association’s (PMA) Balochistan chapter president Dr Sultan Tareen held at the Quetta Commissioner office.

“Many poor people have suffered as a result of this strike… In the future, both the doctors and the government must work together to provide welfare to poor patients,” he added.

Announcing the end of the strike, Dr Tareen said “doctors will resume their duties in state-run hospitals, clinics, emergency wards, operation theatres and out-patient departments starting today (Thursday).” He thanked Quetta Commissioner Qamber Dashti for sorting out the doctors’ issues and helping them wind up the strike.

Condemning the killing of Dr Lakshmi Chand in Mastung and the kidnapping of Dr Aziz Baloch, the PMA provincial president demanded the arrest of elements involved in the two incidents.

The strike began on October 16 after eye specialist Dr Saeed was kidnapped from the provincial capital’s Sariab Road locality. The strike came to a head on November 19, when police arrested around 70 protesting doctors who had been marching towards the Chief Minister’s Secretariat. In retaliation, PMA’s Balochistan chapter closed all state-run and private hospitals across the province, suspending all emergency services. Subsequently, the government suspended over 90 doctors and sealed their private clinics.]]>
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			<title>Working long hours in the hospital, postgraduates complain of minimal pay</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/463935/working-long-hours-in-the-hospital-postgraduates-complain-of-minimal-pay</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/463935/working-long-hours-in-the-hospital-postgraduates-complain-of-minimal-pay#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 10 Nov 12 21:01:26 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[samia.malik]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=463935</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[New doctors face a number of issues, including politicised appointments and lack of security at hospitals.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The title ‘doctor’ may guarantee instant respect in most circles, but the long years of medical school and exams don’t translate into instant riches.


When doctors complain that their academic life is extremely tough, they do not just mean the six years of their medical degree. Doctors who go on to do a postgraduate degree face a number of issues in both the private and the public sector hospitals before they become qualified consultants.

The College of Physicians and Surgeons (CPSP) has designed a course of post graduation, the Fellowship of the College of Physicians and Surgeons (FCPS) degree, which is granted after clearing two examinations with a mandatory four to five-year clinical experience between these.

The CPSP is offering fellowship training in 64 specialties at about 18 accredited public and semi-government hospitals in the city. There are about 39 accredited private hospitals for training postgraduates.

But the lives of doctors in public and private hospitals differ vastly. All hospitals in the public sector are bound by the Sindh government to pay Rs42,500 to each trainee monthly.

In the private sector, however, there is no organisation to regulate and decide the terms of appointment and training of postgraduates - which is why every hospital has its own pay scale. Some private hospitals did not pay postgraduates at all but revised their policies after the CPSP directed that all accredited private institutions will have to give a stipend to trainees. But that is as far as the CPSP can go, as it only deals with its students and has no authority over public and private sector training hospitals.

Doctors working in privately-run hospitals complain that they are paid far less than government-run hospitals.

Liaquat National Hospital pays Rs30,000 to post graduates in the first year and increases this by Rs2,000 every year, said Dr Khurram, who works at the orthopedics department.  The Jinnah Medical and Dental Hospital also pays trainees Rs30,000 per month and postgraduates at the National Institute of Blood Diseases offers Rs 26,000.

But even with higher pay, postgraduates face a number of other issues. There are a slew of problems - politicised appointments, intense workloads and the lack of security at hospitals. The increased stipends aren’t all they are made out to be - there have been payment delays at three tertiary care hospitals.

Hospitals have to pay for the postgraduates’ stipends from their own budget allocated by the Sindh health department. At the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, residents only received their stipend for November 2011 this April while the stipend for June 2012 was paid early October. Salaries at the Civil and Jinnah hospitals are also delayed.

Budget blues

The hospitals’ management blames this on delays in the release of the budget funds by the Sindh government.  Dr Nadeem Rajput, the medical superintendent of Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, said that they face delays when the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation delays payments.

The Dow University of Health Sciences has to pay Civil hospital’s postgraduates. But Prof. Masood Hameed Khan, the university’s vice chancellor, says they are struggling because their budget has been cut half to Rs350 million, while Rs200 million was spent only on postgraduates.

Prof. Tasnim Ahsan, the executive director of Jinnah hospital, said that the missing stipends are due to the increase in salaries but the hospital did not receive an additional amount for the pay raises. She said that the Sindh government has now, however, matched the budget allocation to the raise in salaries and they are not facing any delays.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 11th, 2012. ]]>
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			<title>Health concerns: New service structure for doctors finally agreed</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/462379/health-concerns-new-service-structure-for-doctors-finally-agreed</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/462379/health-concerns-new-service-structure-for-doctors-finally-agreed#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 08 Nov 12 01:15:21 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[ali.usman]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=462379</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[YDA dissolves general body, calls elections after deal announcement.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Punjab government and various doctors’ associations have finally reached an agreement on a new service structure for doctors, after 25 meetings spanning several months of negotiations.


The announcement that a deal had been reached came at around 12.30pm as some 2,000 members of the Young Doctors Association (YDA) Punjab marched on Jail Road, headed for the Chief Minister’s Secretariat on The Mall for a sit-in.

Meanwhile, YDA representatives were engaged in talks with government officials to sort out the remaining issues in the service structure agreement. As the protesters neared GOR, they got the message that the negotiations had concluded successfully. They returned to Services Hospital and gathered at the auditorium, where a YDA official briefed them on the new service structure.

He said that as part of the deal, the charges against eight doctors in a murder case would be dropped. He said that the investigation officer in the case had submitted a written statement that the doctors were not culpable in the death of a boy at the Mayo Hospital emergency ward during the doctors’ strike earlier this summer.

YDA Punjab President Dr Hamid Butt announced that the YDA General Body was being dissolved ahead of fresh elections. He said the sitting office bearers would continue in their positions until the election and nominated a Dr Shabbir Waraich as chief election commissioner.

Earlier in the morning, doctors from across the province had gathered at Services Hospital. The doctors accused in the murder case, and a doctor who was injured during a police crackdown on striking doctors earlier this year, took to the stage as honoured guests.

Negotiations successful

Senator Ishaq Dar and other members of the Service Structure Committee formally declared that an agreement had been signed on a new service structure at the CM’s Secretariat, flanked by representatives from the YDA, Medical Teachers Association (MTA), Pakistan Medical Association and General Cadre Doctors Association (GCDA).

Dar said that it had taken 25 meetings to reach an agreement on 54 demands raised by the doctors. Dr Nasir Bokhari from the YDA, Dr Tanveer Anwar from the PMA, Dr Tehseen Riaz from the MTA and Dr Masood Shaikh from the GCDA said that the agreement must be implemented quickly. Dar said that a high-powered committee had been formed to implement the measures. He said a summary in this regard would be forwarded to the chief minister for approval within 24hours.

Court proceedings

At the Lahore High Court, which continued hearing a petition by the government on Wednesday morning seeking a stay order on the YDA’s sit-in, Justice Ijazul Ahsan said the doctors must comply with the Supreme Court’s directives not to go on strike to the detriment of patient treatment.

The court delayed proceedings on four occasions in the morning as no YDA representative appeared before the court. YDA Vice President Dr Amir Bandesha eventually appeared and said the doctors were being forced to protest.

Justice Ahsan asked who should be held responsible if a patient at a public hospital did not get the attention they deserved while the doctors were protesting. YDA counsel Raja Zulqarnain said the doctors would not be to blame.

The judge said he was “shocked” at the response, as the courts had gone out of their way to accommodate the doctors.

Advocate General Ishtar Ausaf Ali told the court that doctors were continuing negotiations with Senator Dar. The judge instructed him to arrange a meeting with the chief minister if the negotiations weren’t completed.

The court also summoned the record for Thursday of the murder case against eight doctors concerning the death of a boy at Mayo Hospital while doctors were on strike in July, and then adjourned proceedings.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 8th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Service structure: LHC tells doctors not to stage sit-in</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/461799/service-structure-lhc-tells-doctors-not-to-stage-sit-in</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/461799/service-structure-lhc-tells-doctors-not-to-stage-sit-in#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 07 Nov 12 00:38:54 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[ali.usman]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=461799</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Govt and doctors near final agreement, YDA demands quashing of murder FIR.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Lahore High Court on Tuesday ordered doctors to refrain from staging a sit-in at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat to press the government for changes to their service structure.


It was not clear on Tuesday night whether the Young Doctors Association (YDA) Punjab would go ahead with the protest scheduled for Wednesday morning at 90, The Mall. YDA Punjab President Dr Hamid Butt, speaking to The Express Tribune after meeting Governor Sardar Latif Khosa, said that he had not seen the court notice and would consult his lawyers.

Earlier in the day, the doctors engaged in marathon negotiations with the government said that all issues regarding the service structure had been resolved, but the YDA Punjab had refused to call off the sit-in until a murder case, registered against eight Mayo Hospital doctors over a child’s death during the YDA strike this summer, was quashed.

Meanwhile, hundreds of YDA members from around the province streamed into the city on Tuesday for the sit-in.

Court proceedings

On Tuesday morning, Advocate General Ashtar Ausaf Ali told the LHC that the negotiations on a service structure were close to completion and the YDA should focus on those rather than on protesting. He said most of the YDA’s demands had been met. He accused the YDA of being “a tool in the hands of a political party” and claimed it had called the sit-in at the behest of politicians opposed to the Punjab government.

After hearing the petitioner’s initial arguments, the court summoned the YDA leadership for 3:00pm. Upon resumption of the hearing, the court was told that the YDA representatives had “refused” to appear before the court even though they had been conveyed the message at Governor’s House.

The advocate general again asked the court to issue a stay order. At this, Justice Ijazul Ahsan remarked that poor patients would not be left unattended. The judge issued an interim stay order against the sit-in and summoned the leadership of the YDA for Wednesday morning.

Dr Hamid Butt told The Express Tribune that he had not seen the court order and would consult his legal advisers.

He said that the doctors had a constitutional right to hold a peaceful protest.

He said that the governor had assured the YDA of his support and condemned the registration of the murder case against doctors.

Negotiations

Meanwhile, doctors’ representatives met again with government officials after 15 hours of discussion on Monday. The government had hoped to conclude the negotiations before the YDA sit-in, but one sticking point remained in the form of the murder case against Mayo Hospital doctors.

“Things are heading in a positive direction and if the government quashes the 302 [the Pakistan Penal Code section which relates to murder] case before the sit-in, we will also show courtesy,” YDA Jinnah Hospital President Dr Javaid Aheer said.

Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) General Secretary Dr Izhar Chaudhry, who also attended the meeting, said that the new service structure for doctors had been agreed upon by the government. He said that the advocate general’s office would get in touch with doctors’ representatives concerning the murder case on Wednesday morning, after which a final meeting would take place.

A doctor requesting not to be named said the deadlock over the allowance for Fellowship of the College of Physicians and Surgeons (FCPS) doctors had ended. He said that it had been left to the Higher Education Commission to decide if the FCPS qualification was equivalent to a PhD, in which case the allowance would be set at Rs10,000 per month. If not, the allowance would be set at Rs5,000 per month, he said.

General Cadre Association President Dr Masood Shaikh said the government and doctors had reached agreement on all core points. He said there should be no delay in the announcement and implementation of the deal.

Dr Amir Bandesha, who represented the YDA Punjab at the meeting, said there was verbal agreement on all major points. “Nothing has been signed yet. We will go ahead with our peaceful sit-in. If the 302 case is quashed then a final meeting may take place with Senator Ishaq Dar to sign the service structure document,” he said.

Meanwhile, groups of doctors from all over the Punjab arrived in Lahore for the sit-in. “Six hundred doctors have arrived from south Punjab and 700 from north Punjab including Rawalpindi. Some 2,000 doctors will participate in the sit-in,” said YDA Information Secretary Dr Hussain Chaudhry.

A YDA delegation from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa led by Dr Alamgir Khan Yousafzai has also reached Lahore, said Dr Mudassir Razzaq Khan of the YDA.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 7th, 2012. ]]>
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			<title>LHC stops YDA from staging sit-in</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/461692/lhc-stops-yda-from-staging-sit-in</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/461692/lhc-stops-yda-from-staging-sit-in#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 06 Nov 12 16:02:44 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=461692</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Advocate General Punjab Ashtar Ali Ausaf says YDA has become a tool of political parties.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Lahore High Court stopped the Young Doctors Association on Tuesday from staging a sit-in in front of Chief Minister House on Wednesday and summoned the senior office bearers of the association.

The court observed that patients should not be left in the lurch or at the mercy of medical staff. Justice Ijazul Ahsan issued an interim stay order on a petition appealed by the Punjab government, seeking directions to restrain the YDA from staging sit-in.

Earlier on Tuesday, Advocate General Punjab Ashtar Ali Ausaf appeared before the court and contended that the YDA had called for a sit-in before the chief minister house to press their demands for a service structure. He added that a government committee was currently negotiating with the YDA over the issue of service structure but the doctors had announced a protest.

Most of the demands of the YDA had been accepted through negotiations and only two including one-step promotion had yet to be finalised, Ausaf added. The Punjab advocate general also pointed out that the YDA has become a tool of political parties and had given the sit-in call at the behest of political elements. He requested the court to restrain YDA doctors from staging sit-ins and protests.

After hearing initial arguments of top provincial law officers, the court summoned YDA leadership to appear before the court in the afternoon.

As court resumed the hearing, it was informed that the YDA representatives had refused to appear before the court despite the message being conveyed to those who were present at Punjab Governor house.

The advocate general again appealed to the court to issue a stay order against the sit-in.

Following this, Justice Ahsan remarked that poor patients should not be left at the mercy of protests and agitations. The court issued an interim stay order against the sit-in and summoned the leadership of YDA for November 7.]]>
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			<title>AQ Khan extends support to young doctors</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/461135/aq-khan-extends-support-to-young-doctors</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/461135/aq-khan-extends-support-to-young-doctors#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 05 Nov 12 15:53:38 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=461135</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Nuclear scientist says problems faced by young doctors are not addressed by the Punjab government appropriately.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Nuclear scientist and founder of atomic bomb Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan expressed his concerns over health issues in a meeting with a delegation of Young Doctors Association (YDA) Punjab on Monday.

Khan, in a signed statement, said the problems faced by young doctors who perform 12 hours long duty every day were not being addressed by the Punjab government appropriately.

He criticised the government for continuously reducing the health budget in the name of health reforms.

“Less than one per cent of the budget was spent on the health and medicines, while required equipments and medical experts were not available,” he said.

Khan stated that the doctors were just demanding a reform that will help them treat patients in the country and will increase their professional capabilities.

He urged the government to rework its priorities.

“Leaving poor patients at the mercy of private hospitals cannot be considered as good governance,” he said.

He agreed with the doctors’ complaint that delay in providing medicines cause many deaths.

While asking the government to immediately review service structure as promised, he also asked the young doctors to ensure the treatment of patients during their protest.]]>
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			<title>Young doctors assured of PTI’s support</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/460424/young-doctors-assured-of-pti%e2%80%99s-support</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/460424/young-doctors-assured-of-pti%e2%80%99s-support#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 03 Nov 12 20:43:56 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=460424</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Imran Khan tells doctors they were right to protest for their rights.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan on Saturday assured the Young Doctors Association (YDA) Punjab of his support in their campaign for a new service structure.


This was stated by YDA Jinnah Hospital President Dr Javaid Aheer who was part of the delegation that called upon the PTI chairman at the party’s Central Media Office at Cavalry Ground. The delegation was led by its President Dr Hamid Butt. Butt briefed Khan on the association’s demand. “Imran Khan supported our stand. He told us he was astonished why the Punjab government wasn’t accepting our rightful demands,” Aheer told The Express Tribune. Khan told the delegation the doctors had a right to protest for their rights. “He told us that if the Punjab government arrested any doctor, the PTI would react strongly,” Aheer said. Dr Mudassir Razzaq Khan, the YDA media secretary, said the meeting with Imran Khan was held in a cordial atmosphere. “He assured us of his full support and cooperation,” he maintained.

Dr Aheer said the YDA hadn’t asked the PTI to lend them any support in their planned sit-in outside the Chief Minister’s Secretariat on November 7. “The sit-in and long march are doctors’ affairs. We don’t want activists of any political party to join us,” he said.

There hasn’t been any contact between the Punjab government and the YDA since Eid. The YDA is scheduled to hold another protest on November 5.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 4th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>YDA protest: PTI to strongly condemn arrests of doctors</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/460272/yda-protest-pti-to-strongly-condemn-arrests-of-doctors</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/460272/yda-protest-pti-to-strongly-condemn-arrests-of-doctors#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 03 Nov 12 16:10:40 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=460272</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[YDA says they do not want supports of political activists in their planned sit-in around Punjab CM house on Nov 5.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Saturday extended his support to Young Doctors Association (YDA) Punjab’s protest over service structure, adding that the party would strongly condemn any attempts made by the Punjab government to arrest the doctors.

A YDA delegation led by President Dr Hamid Butt called on Imran Khan at the PTI Central Media Office at Cavalry Ground and briefed him about the issue of service structure and the doctors’ struggle.

The YDA has been holding nationwide protests since 2011, demanding for a reform in the existing service structure for doctors working in the public sector.

Talking to The Express Tribune, YDA Jinnah Hospital President Dr Javaid Aheer, who was part of the delegation, said,“Imran Khan strongly supported our rightful stand on service structure. He said PTI strongly supports young doctors in their rightful demands, adding that he is surprised why the Punjab government isn’t accepting such basic and rightful demands. Khan said doctors had a right to protest for their rights and that the PTI would strongly react if the Punjab government arrested any doctor.”

Dr Mudassir Razaq Khan, YDA Media Secretary, said the meeting with Imran Khan was held in a cordial atmosphere.

“He assured us of his full support and cooperation.”

Dr Aheer added that the YDA had not asked PTI to lend them any support in their planned sit-in at the Chief Minister Secretariat on November 7, “The November 7 sit-in and long march is purely doctors’ affairs, wherein doctors would surround the CM Secretariat and they didn’t want activists of any political party to join them.”

There hasn’t been any contact between the Punjab government and YDA since Eid, with The last protest in a series of protest organised by YDA is scheduled to be held on November 5.]]>
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			<title>Service structure: Doctors announce sit-in at CM’s Secretariat on Nov 7</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/451575/service-structure-doctors-announce-sit-in-at-cm%e2%80%99s-secretariat-on-nov-7</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/451575/service-structure-doctors-announce-sit-in-at-cm%e2%80%99s-secretariat-on-nov-7#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 15 Oct 12 01:19:53 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[ali.usman]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=451575</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[YDA plans protests, General Cadre Doctors welcome progress in talks with govt.]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Young Doctors Association (YDA) Punjab is planning protest marches by doctors from Rahim Yar Khan and Rawalpindi to converge in Lahore and a sit-in at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat on November 7.


The plans were made at a meeting of the YDA Punjab General Council in Multan on Saturday night. The marches and the sit-in are meant to press the government to accept the doctors’ demands for changes to their service structure. Doctors’ groups including the YDA Punjab are currently also engaged in negotiations with the government on the subject.

YDA Punjab spokesman Dr Nasir Bokhari said that the organisation had planned a series of protests before the long march, starting with a demonstration at Children’s Hospital on Monday.

“All departments will remain functional at the hospital and there will not be any disturbance for the patients,” said YDA Punjab General Council member Dr Khuzema Arslan Bokhari.

Dr Nasir Bokhari said the YDA would also call on civil society activists and political parties to brief them about their problems. “We will tell them how the Punjab government is depriving doctors of their rights,” he said.

Dr Mudassir Razzaq Khan, another participant in the General Council meeting, said the YDA Punjab would continue its protests against the government till a murder case against some Mayo Hospital doctors over alleged medical malpractice was quashed, and the service structure issues were resolved.

Asked why the YDA Punjab was announcing a protest schedule when the negotiations with the government had recently yielded a signed agreement on some of the service structure issues, Dr Khan said that there was no agreement yet on several major issues. “We are using our legal right to protest to highlight these issues,” he said.

Protest schedule 

According to a schedule announced on Monday, the YDA Punjab will protest at Children’s Hospital at 11am on Monday, at Shaikh Zayed Hospital Rahim Yar Khan on Tuesday; at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology and the Punjab Dental Hospital Lahore on October 17; at Victoria Hospital Bahawalpur on October 18; at Mayo Hospital Lahore and Nishtar Medical College Multan on October 22; at Allied Hospital Faisalabad on October 22; at Rawalpindi on October 23; at Jinnah Hospital Lahore on October 24; at Services Hospital and Ganga Ram Hospital in Lahore on November 1; at Gujrat and Gujranwala on November 3; and at Lahore General Hospital and Shaikh Zayed Hospital Lahore on November 5.

General Cadre Doctors

Meanwhile, the General Cadre Doctors Association has welcomed recent progress made in the talks with the government. Addressing a GCDA Provincial Council meeting on Sunday, GCDA Punjab President Dr Masood Akhtar Sheikh said that dealing with the various structure issues separately and then signing agreements on points on which consensus had been reached was a practical approach to the talks.

Dr Sheikh briefed the council on the doctors’ representatives latest meeting with the special health secretary. “The Health Department seems very positive now and wants … all the stakeholders to be satisfied. A proper service structure is the only answer to the current issues,” he said.

He said that most issues had been agreed upon in principle. “It is just a matter of fine tuning,” he said.

Dr Sheikh said that the GCDA was the biggest stakeholder in the talks, since there were 14,000 General Cadre doctors in the province, compared to just 2,500 Teaching Cadre doctors and 1,200 specialists.

Dr Asad Abbas Shah said that the doctors should be flexible in the negotiations. “If no consensus can be reached on some point on the agenda, a committee of doctors’ representatives should be set up to carry on brain storming on the issues,” he said. “A few issues should not create a deadlock in the negotiations.”

Dr Rana Rafique said that the final service structure should be balanced and not favour one cadre over the others.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 15th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Service structure: Doctors and government sign half a deal</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/451172/service-structure-doctors-and-government-sign-half-a-deal</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/451172/service-structure-doctors-and-government-sign-half-a-deal#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 13 Oct 12 20:37:33 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[ali.usman]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=451172</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Govt agrees to hire as many house officers as graduating students each year.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Representatives of the Punjab government and doctors’ organisations have signed a document stipulating agreement on certain matters as part of the negotiations for a new service structure for doctors, The Express Tribune has learnt.


Representatives of the Young Doctors Association (YDA) Punjab, the Medical Teachers Association (MTA), the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) and the Health Department signed a 42-point agreement, so that neither side could back down from those positions at future negotiations. Both sides claimed to have pushed for the agreement because the other side kept changing their stance.

The doctors’ associations and the government have been in talks since July, when the Lahore High Court directed the YDA to end its strike at public hospitals and negotiate with the government for a new service structure for doctors employed by the Health Department.

The signed document, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, states that the parties have agreed to increase the number of house officers to the total number of medical students graduating every year from public medical colleges. The parties also agreed that the take-home salary of a post graduate resident in the first year of training would be 90 per cent of a medical officer’s salary in grade 17 in the first year of service. Similarly, a second-year resident would get wages equal to 90 per cent of a medical officer’s salary in his second year, and so on.

The agreement also specifies that there are 205 vacancies for senior registrars in the province, and over 100 vacancies for specialists. The two sides had previously claimed different figures for this. The agreement does not state whether these vacancies will be filled.

Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) President Dr Tanveer Anwar said that the two sides had reached agreement on 42 points. He said these were issues on which the two parties had been unable to reach a consensus earlier. He said the next meeting would be held at the Health Department on Monday

YDA Punjab General Council member Dr Mudassir Razzaq Khan said that the doctors had asked the government to sign the agreement. A senior official at the Health Department, however, said that the department had asked the doctors to sign the document.

Dr Khan said that there were still several important issues on which the two sides were far apart. He said that a final agreement would have to be okayed by the YDA General Council.

A meeting of the council in Multan was due to start on Saturday night. “Important decisions regarding the YDA’s strategy will be taken in the meeting,” said Dr Javaid Aheer, president of YDA Jinnah Hospital.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 14th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Service structure: Senator Ishaq Dar to chair ‘decisive meeting’</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/443554/service-structure-senator-ishaq-dar-to-chair-%e2%80%98decisive-meeting%e2%80%99</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/443554/service-structure-senator-ishaq-dar-to-chair-%e2%80%98decisive-meeting%e2%80%99#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 27 Sep 12 23:20:54 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=443554</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[‘Though we are close to an agreement, more meetings might be needed’.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[A meeting between the representatives of doctors’ associations and the Punjab government will take place at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat on Saturday.


Senator Ishaq Dar, the chairman of the committee formed to finalise a new service structure for the doctors, will chair the meeting according to a notification issued by the government.

Officials in the Health Department believe this could be the final meeting on the issue and that an announcement may follow the Saturday meeting. Office bearers of Young Doctors Association (YDA) Punjab say that they “are close to an agreement”. They were quick to add, however, that the Saturday meeting might not be the last.

YDA representative Dr Amir Bandesha, who has been part of the negotiations with the government, told The Express Tribune the association had requested the Health Department to hold a meeting with the YDA team before going into the meeting with Ishaq Dar. “We want a draft of the service structure agreed on to discuss with our general council. So far we haven’t received any intimation by the Health Department about the meeting or received a draft.”

Dr Bandesha said the Punjab government had offered to fill in 4,000 posts in Grade 18 but that would not be a time-scale promotion. “If we are to give up our demand to for induction in grade 18 then we want a service structure. We want the government to create a Working Group that oversees the doctors’ promotion so that there in no backlog,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 28th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Service structure: Young doctors block roads as protest continues</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/439422/service-structure-young-doctors-block-roads-as-protest-continues</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/439422/service-structure-young-doctors-block-roads-as-protest-continues#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 19 Sep 12 23:02:50 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=439422</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Association warns government ‘not to test their patience’.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Young Doctors Association (YDA) Punjab on Wednesday blocked several roads to demand that the government finalise the new service structure.


The two main sit-ins were held at Canal Bank Road and Jail Road. YDA members from Jinnah Hospital and Shaikh Zayed Hospital blocked the Canal Bank Road for two hours. Traffic remained jammed from 11:15am to 1:00pm on the road. The doctors were carrying placards demanding the announcement of the new service structure.

Jinnah Hospital YDA President Dr Javaid Aheer said, “The government is committing contempt of court by transferring doctors despite court orders to not take action against them until the service structure case is decided.”

“The heads of various medical institutions, including former Allama Iqbal Medical College (AIMC) Principal Dr Javed Akram and Post Graduate Medical Institute (PGMI) Principal Professor Tariq Salahuddin were transferred for ‘not grilling YDA doctors’,” he said. “Now the government has turned to medical superintendents (MS). The Jinnah Hospital MS Dr Afzal Shaheen is the first to have been transferred. Others may follow.”

He said the court had never stopped the YDA from protesting. “The protest is being attended by doctors who are not on-duty. Patients are not being affected. The court only asked us not to strike.”

Some commuters exchanged harsh words with protesting doctors at the Canal Bank Road.

The doctors also blocked Jail Road in front of Services Hospital for two hours.

Speaking at the protest, YDA Punjab President Dr Hamid Butt said, “The government should not test our patience. We are here, united and alive. We are silent but we are not done. If the government does not want to give us a new service structure peacefully, other options remain open.”

Butt said the YDA would hold protests and rallies to condemn the anti-Islam film on Friday.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 20th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Service structure: Young doctors back on roads, without a bang</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/436296/service-structure-young-doctors-back-on-roads-without-a-bang</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/436296/service-structure-young-doctors-back-on-roads-without-a-bang#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 14 Sep 12 02:08:00 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=436296</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Say they will carry out weekly protests until demands are met; turnover much lower this time around.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[After a week-long hiatus, young doctors came out on the roads once again on Thursday in an effort to press the government to submit to their longstanding demands. The turnover of protesters, however, was much lower this time around.


The Young Doctors Association (YDA) held a protest outside the Benazir Bhutto Hospital and blocked the busy Benazir Bhutto Road for nearly one and half hours.

Just like last week, the Chandni Chowk Flyover was closed for traffic and all vehicles coming from Islamabad were diverted to the Rawal Road instead.

The doctors, carrying banners and placards, chanted slogans for implementation of a service structure, a demand they have been protesting for since the past 14 months. They also raised slogans against the government when news regarding their colleagues’ arrest in Lahore surfaced during the protest.

While talking to The Express Tribune, Dr Abbas Malik, YDA’s head at District Headquarters Hospital, said the association has decided to carry out weekly protests in major cities of Punjab to press the government. The “struggle”, he said, will continue until their demands are met.

When asked about the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) order against doctors’ strike, he said the YDA has no plan to go on strike and will keep attending patients.

Another doctor, while commenting on the issue, said that the slow pace of court proceedings is encouraging the government to turn a blind eye to their demands. The government has not held a meeting on the issue for two weeks, according to a media report.

YDA’s general council has also decided to call a province-wide sit-in on September 19, and hold a long march starting from major cities in Punjab and ending outside the Punjab Chief Minister’s Secretariat later.

YDA is the biggest of several doctors’ groups that are in talks with the government on service structure. The two sides were close to an agreement earlier. However, the government wanted the association to give up its demands for doctors to be inducted in grade 18, that they get guaranteed promotions after a certain period and a raised health professional allowance. The YDA general council decided not to compromise on these demands.

Earlier this year, YDA doctors went on strike at the outpatient departments of public hospitals. Later in July, the LHC instructed the doctors not to boycott their duties and set up a committee with representatives of the government and various doctors’ groups to negotiate a service structure deal. However, that has still not happened.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 14th, 2012. ]]>
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			<title>Service structure: Protesting doctors block main roads</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/436313/service-structure-protesting-doctors-block-main-roads</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/436313/service-structure-protesting-doctors-block-main-roads#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 13 Sep 12 20:31:41 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=436313</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[YDA protests held at Jinnah, Ganga Ram and Services Hospitals.]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Young Doctors Association (YDA) Punjab held protests outside several major hospitals here on Thursday, causing major traffic jams in the late morning and early afternoon.


Doctors demanding revisions to their service structure so they get improved allowances and promotion prospects protested outside Jinnah Hospital, Ganga Ram Hospital and Services Hospital, the latter the main rally. YDA members from Children’s Hospital and Lahore General Hospital also joined the protests.

The protests caused major traffic jams on Canal Bank Road, Jail Road and The Mall, with the doctors only letting ambulances past. The main protest on Jail Road went on from 11am to 1pm.

YDA Punjab President Dr Hamid Butt said that the doctors had protested peacefully, “but the government shouldn’t consider it a weakness”. He said the committee set up by the Lahore High Court to resolve the doctors’ service structure demands had not met for two weeks.

He said that the YDA was planning a province-wide protest on September 19 which would be followed by a long march culminating in an indefinite sit-in at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat.

YDA to protest after case registered against doctors 

The police have registered a case against seven doctors including three office bearers of the Young Doctors Association Pakistan for allegedly threatening and roughing up the additional medical superintendent (security) of Mayo Hospital, a day after the doctors had accused the AMS of a similar crime.

A case has been registered at the Mayo Hospital police post against YDA General Secretary Dr Salman Kazmi, YDA President Dr Rana Sohail, YDA Chairman Dr Talha Shirwani and four unnamed doctors under Sections 507 (criminal intimidation by anonymous communication) and 426 (mischief) of the Penal Code.

The doctors had also filed an application with the police for a case against AMS Dr Tariq Ijaz, stating that he slapped and threatened a doctor and pointed a gun at him in an incident on Wednesday, but no FIR was registered on their complaint. They announced that they would hold a protest at 10:30am on Friday at the so-called Ghari Ward.

“It is a really a sad state of affairs that the police, instead of registering a case against AMS Tariq Ijaz   who is known as Tariq Pistol for torturing young doctors and pointing guns at them   has registered a case against the doctors of Mayo Hospital,” said the YDA officials.

They said that Medical Superintendent Dr Zahid Pervez had directed the police to register a case on the complaint of the AMS and not the complaint of the YDA officials.

Dr Pervez denied this, saying that the AMS had given his application directly to the police.

However, doctors with experience in hospital administration told The Express Tribune that there was an informal rule at Mayo Hospital and other hospitals with police posts that the police would not register an FIR without the medical superintendent’s approval.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 14th, 2012.

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			<title>Service structure: YDA to block Jail Road today</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/435768/service-structure-yda-to-block-jail-road-today</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/435768/service-structure-yda-to-block-jail-road-today#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 13 Sep 12 00:40:16 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=435768</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[YDA Punjab President Dr Hamid Butt said the two-hour protest on Thursday would start at Jail Road at 10am.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Young Doctors Association (YDA) Punjab is to hold protests on Thursday (today) to press for a new service structure.


YDA chapters plan to hold protests in front of teaching hospitals after which they will join the main protest in front of Services Hospital on Jail Road. “We will not give up our democratic right to protest. The Lahore High Court has not asked us to do so,” said Dr Javed Zaheer, YDA Jinnah Hospital head.

“We are waiting peacefully for the announcement of a new service structure. The government has not held a meeting on the issue for two weeks now,” he said. He said the next protest by the YDA would take place on September 19.

YDA Punjab President Dr Hamid Butt said the two-hour protest on Thursday would start at Jail Road at 10am. He said routine hospital affairs would not be disturbed. “We will also ensure that no ambulance gets stuck in a traffic jam near Services Hospital and the Punjab Institute of Cardiology,” Dr Butt added.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 13th, 2012.

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			<title>Service structure: Doctors block Jail Road in new round of protests</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/432023/service-structure-doctors-block-jail-road-in-new-round-of-protests</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/432023/service-structure-doctors-block-jail-road-in-new-round-of-protests#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 05 Sep 12 21:18:35 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=432023</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Protests held all over province, YDA threatens more.]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Young Doctors Association (YDA) Punjab blocked Jail Road in front of Services Hospital for around three hours on Wednesday as it kicked off a fresh campaign of protests to push for revisions to the service structure for doctors.


The protest was peaceful, but combined with construction work at Ferozepur Road, caused traffic gridlock around the city. It could have been much worse had it not rained. The YDA had planned to continue the demonstration until the evening, but the 150 or so protesting doctors trudged off when it started raining around 1:30pm.

Earlier this year, YDA doctors went on strike at outpatient departments at public hospitals to press for changes to their service structure. In July, the Lahore High Court instructed the doctors not to boycott their jobs and set up a committee with representatives of the government and various doctors’ groups to negotiate a service structure deal. However, that has still not happened.

YDA officials said that protests and sit-ins were held all over the province. YDA Jinnah Hospital doctors also blocked Canal Bank Road at around 10:30am for a little while before joining the main protest on Jail Road.

The protesters carried placards with their demands while banners demanding changes to the service structure were put up inside Services Hospital and PIC. They staged a sit-in on the road between the Punjab Institute of Cardiology and Race Course Park. However, they did give passage to ambulances heading for the Services Hospital and PIC emergency wards. The district coordination officer had earlier warned that a murder case would be registered against the protesting doctors should a patient die in an ambulance stuck in a traffic jam caused by their sit-in.

Negotiations stalled

YDA Punjab President Dr Hamid Butt said that negotiations between the doctors and the government over changes to the service structure had stalled.

“We have proposed that all ad hoc doctors be put into a pool and then be subject to a uniform policy.

A merit list should be formed and they should be appointed on merit. We have also demanded that the Health Department treat senior registrars who have served for three years as assistant professors. The government hasn’t responded so far,” he said.

Dr Butt said that YDA chapters in Gujrat, Gujranwala, Multan, Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi had held demonstrations on Wednesday. He said that all the protests were peaceful and had no affect on the provision of healthcare at public hospitals.

He said that the YDA had not yet decided when to hold demonstrations outside the Chief Minister’s Secretariat or GOR-I, but it would hold such protests if their demands for changes to the service structure were not met.

In Bahawalpur, doctors blocked Circular Road. YDA Punjab Vice Chairman Dr Tanveer Bajwa said that the doctors had been forced to protest by the Punjab government’s refusal to accept their demands. He said everyone had a right to protest.

(Read: Protesting doctors)

Published in The Express Tribune, September 6th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Service structure: YDA meets Wednesday to discuss protest plan</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/426670/service-structure-yda-meets-wednesday-to-discuss-protest-plan</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/426670/service-structure-yda-meets-wednesday-to-discuss-protest-plan#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 26 Aug 12 21:13:20 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[ali.usman]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=426670</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[General Council to consider plan to surround Chief Minister’s Secretariat.]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Young Doctors Association (YDA) Punjab has called a General Council meeting on Wednesday to discuss its strategy for negotiations with the government over changes to the service structure for doctors employed by the Health Department.


YDA members said that the General Council, which would meet at Shaikh Zayed Hospital, would consider all options including going on strike again. The YDA went on strike at outpatient departments earlier this year to press for better perks and allowances as part of their service structure, paralysing public hospitals in the city for around a month. The YDA called off the strike on the instructions of the Lahore High Court, which set up a committee to come up with recommendations for the service structure revisions.

YDA member Dr Abu Bakar Gondal told The Express Tribune that there was deadlock in the committee and the negotiations had come to a halt. “Earlier, there was deadlock on two issues: induction of doctors into BS-18 and the Health Professional Allowance (HPA). Since then the government has done a lot of things that we don’t agree with and which have forced us to review our strategy and consider our options. This is why General Council meeting has been called for which doctors from across the Punjab will come to Lahore,” he said.

“The community is very angry with the government. On the one hand they hold negotiations with us while on the other hand they hire ad hoc doctors in violation of all rules and regulations. This is no way to go about negotiations,” he said.

Dr Gondal said that one option to be considered at the meeting was for doctors to stage a demonstration at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat.

Dr Khuzema Arslan Bokhari, another senior YDA member, said that he believed that the Genera Council would not call a strike, but plan a schedule of protests. He said that the YDA was concerned at the appointment of women medical officers (WMOs) to seats meant for post-graduate trainees.

“WMOs hired on an ad hoc basis are being appointed to post-graduate seats and new post-graduates are being inducted without stipends. And post-graduate trainees who were inducted by the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) after due process are being sidelined for ad hoc doctors who didn’t appear before any board and were hired after walk-in interviews,” said Dr Bokhari.

He said that the ad hoc doctors were getting favourable postings within Lahore while post-graduate trainees were being sent outside the city. “These issues have caused a wave of unrest among doctors. We will discuss these matters at the General Council meeting,” he said. Another YDA member said that 373 women medical officers had been sent on deputation from one teaching hospital to another within Lahore, which was against the rules.

“They are also withdrawing a 20 per cent deputation allowance which isn’t mentioned in their salaries. We are planning to move court against this. This is a severe violation of the appointment rules,” he said.

A senior Health Department official said that Senator Ishaq Dar of the PML-N was to meet with YDA members soon. He said that the senator was currently abroad. He rejected the YDA allegations about ad hoc doctors. “They were appointed after due process and they are government employees. The young doctors should focus on their own issues rather than speaking about ad hoc doctors,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 27th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Doctors’ politics: ‘YDA threatening professors who didn’t back strike’</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/421722/doctors%e2%80%99-politics-%e2%80%98yda-threatening-professors-who-didn%e2%80%99t-back-strike%e2%80%99</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/421722/doctors%e2%80%99-politics-%e2%80%98yda-threatening-professors-who-didn%e2%80%99t-back-strike%e2%80%99#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 13 Aug 12 20:07:42 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[ali.usman]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=421722</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[YDA rejects govt report, says its protests are peaceful.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Junior doctors are harassing and intimidating professors who did not support them during the strike by the Young Doctors Association (YDA) Punjab at public hospitals, according to a Special Branch report.


The report was written by officers deployed to keep an eye on the YDA during the strike. It has been sent to the capital city police officer, the district coordination officer, the Home Department and the Health Department.

“The young doctors are targeting professors who did not support them during their strike and they want to remove them from the hospitals,” states the report. They were also pushing for the dismissal of ad hoc doctors recruited during the strike. “Senior doctors feel threatened,” it states.

However, the report recommends no security or protection measures for professors and concedes that no professors have made formal complaints about harassment or intimidation.

The report recommends disciplinary action against the doctors via the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council. It states that most of the YDA members are post-graduate trainees aiming to become Fellows of the College of Physicians and Surgeons (FCPS). It suggests that the Health Department contact supervisors of postgraduate trainees and get them to warn the doctors that they would write to the CPS to cancel their supervision, meaning they would not be able to sit the FCPS Part II exams.

“The High Court may also be apprised of the threatening activities of the young doctors,” it states.

The report cites one incident in particular. “On August 10, 2012, 60 to 70 young doctors led by Dr Hamid Butt, the YDA Punjab president, protested for two hours in front of the office of the medical superintendent of Services Hospital. They trespassed on the office of Services Institute of Medical Sciences Principal Dr Faisal Masud, threatened him and chanted slogans against him. They alleged that the young doctors were arrested during the strike on the instigation of Dr Faisal Masud. The young doctors also shut Gate No 4 near the principal’s office and did not let him enter the hospital. Earlier, the young doctors threatened and abused a lady professor of the Pathology Department. When the Academic Council of the hospital convened a meeting to discuss the threats, the young doctors didn’t allow them to hold the meeting and abused the professors.”

YDA Punjab senior member Dr Khuzema Arslan Bokhari rejected the report. “First, they should define what threatening means to them. They feel threatened even when young doctors or Hamid Butt walk around the hospital. They feel threatened when we hold peaceful protests. It is we who are threatened by seniors. In some cases professors have withdrawn from the supervision of young doctors two months before the completion of their training. We just protested peacefully and asked for the termination of ad hoc doctors because they were hired in violation of merit and policy,” he said.

Dr Bokhari said that the YDA condemned all forms of violence and its constitution directed members not to indulge in violence. “If there is any incident where young doctors misbehaved with any doctors or got physical, we condemn it. This report doesn’t mean anything,” he said.

A SIMS professor said the young doctors had been sending derogatory text messages to senior doctors. “They haven’t thrashed any professor so far but they have misbehaved. They have certainly become more aggressive after their strike,” he added.

A senior faculty member at Lahore General Hospital said there hadn’t been any violence against any seniors at the hospital. “As far as ad hoc doctors are concerned, yes they (the YDA) are against them and are pressing the administration to fire them,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 14th, 2012. ]]>
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			<title>YDA demands: Doctors report ‘positive developments’ in talks</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/413954/yda-demands-doctors-report-%e2%80%98positive-developments%e2%80%99-in-talks</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/413954/yda-demands-doctors-report-%e2%80%98positive-developments%e2%80%99-in-talks#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 27 Jul 12 21:23:53 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[ali.usman]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=413954</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Punjab government gives in on ‘administrative issues’, service structure details still to be agreed upon.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Doctors’ associations are hopeful that negotiations with the Punjab government will soon prove fruitful, people privy to the meetings told The Express Tribune on Friday.


Representatives of the Young Doctors Association (YDA) Punjab, the Medical Teachers Association (MTA) and the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) met with a government committee on Friday and finalised some “administrative issues”, according to a participant in the negotiations.

MNA Zahid Hamid represented the Punjab government.

Though cautious in their optimism, the doctors said, there had been some “positive developments” in the negotiations between the government and the YDA Punjab. Dr Abrar Ashraf Ali, the PMA Punjab general secretary, told The Tribune there has been some progress. Declining to divulge specific details, Ali said, “A breakthrough is likely in the next couple of meetings, if all goes well.”

He said all medical associations had agreed on the need for a new service structure, adding, that they were hopeful things will be worked out in the next meeting with Senator Ishaq Dar. Ali said they will meet with Dar “whenever he is available”.

A doctor told The Tribune that the government had agreed to demands that “do not involve any financial workup”. “It is willing to transfer the authority to grant ex-Pakistan leave to medical superintendents (MS) instead of the health secretary and to take steps towards decentralisation of power,” he said. The doctors, he said, wanted “the whole package” to be announced in one go. Without an agreement on the financial commitment related to a new service structure, nothing can be achieved, he said.

Some of the doctors had also met with Senator Ishaq Dar on Wednesday. The meeting had started at 9:30pm and continued till 1:30am. “The meeting with Senator Dar was very helpful,” said one doctor. Dar had assured doctors that all their demands, including a new service structure, would be met. However, on Thursday, the negotiations had hit a snag. One of the doctors remarked, “Whenever a politician chairs the meeting, things seem to move in a positive direction but whenever a bureaucrat starts negotiating, a standoff emerges.”

Hamid Butt, the YDA Punjab president, announced on Friday that doctors would continue their “peaceful protest”. “On Saturday (today) doctors will gather at the Punjab Dental College. We are monitoring every step the government takes,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 28th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Service structure: YDA announces protests at public hospitals from 26th</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/411480/service-structure-yda-announces-protests-at-public-hospitals-from-26th</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/411480/service-structure-yda-announces-protests-at-public-hospitals-from-26th#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 22 Jul 12 01:25:02 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=411480</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Patient care will not be interrupted at any wards, says YDA.]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Young Doctors Association (YDA) Punjab has announced a schedule of protests at public hospitals to keep up pressure on the government to revise the service structure for doctors employed by the Health Department.


The YDA Punjab organised a strike at outpatient departments at public hospitals in Lahore from June 18 for some three weeks until the Lahore High Court ordered the doctors to go back to work on July 8.

YDA Punjab President Dr Hamid Butt said on Saturday that the fresh protests by the doctors would be peaceful and would not involve denying treatment to patients at any wards. He said the decision had been made at a YDA Punjab General Council meeting.

The protesting doctors would hold short walks wearing black armbands and chanting slogans, he said.

“These peaceful protests will not interrupt or delay treatment at outpatient departments or any other wards in any hospitals. Patients will continue receiving treatment at hospitals as per routine. Doctors will get their protest registered by holding walks and short demonstrations,” said YDA General Council member Dr Mudassir Razzaq Khan.

He insisted that the association had the right to call another strike. “The Lahore High Court hasn’t forbidden us from going on strike on the service structure issue. It just asked us to call off our strike, which we did,” he said.

A senior official at the Health Department said that instead of starting more protests, the YDA should wait for the LHC to give its decision in the case in this regard. “We would advise them to wait until the court gives its final verdict,” he added.

According to the YDA Punjab, the protests will be held at Lahore General Hospital on July 26; at Punjab Dental Hospital on July 28; at Jinnah Hospital, Lahore and District Headquarters Hospital, Faisalabad on July 30; at Children’s Hospital on July 31; at Ganga Ram Hospital on August 1; at Services Hospital and Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Hospital, Rawalpindi on August 2; at Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore on August 4; at DHQ Hospital, Gujrat and Bahawalpur Victoria Hospital on August 6; at Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Lahore on August 7; at Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi and Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Rahim Yar Khan on August 8; at Allied Hospital, Faisalabad and DHQ Hospital, Gujranwala on August 9; at DHQ Hospital, Rawalpindi on August 11; and at Mayo Hospital and Nishtar Hospital, Multan on August 13.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 22nd, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Doctors’ jobs: YDA directed to submit service structure proposals</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/411095/doctors%e2%80%99-jobs-yda-directed-to-submit-service-structure-proposals</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/411095/doctors%e2%80%99-jobs-yda-directed-to-submit-service-structure-proposals#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 20 Jul 12 21:42:13 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[rana.tanveer]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=411095</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Government says accepting all of doctors’ demands would open a Pandora’s box.]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Lahore High Court (LHC) has directed the Young Doctors Association (YDA) to submit in writing its proposals a revised service structure by Saturday (today).


Earlier, an additional advocate general (AAG) submitted that the government could not agree to giving the doctors more perks than doctors serving in other provinces. He said doctors were being paid enough.

Justice Ijazul Ahsan said the recommendations will be forwarded to the government and the court would give a ruling after receiving the government’s response to it.

AAG Faisal Zaman said meeting all doctors’ demands would open a Pandora’s box. He said government servants in other categories would demand similar perks and privileges. He also said the government could not legislate a service structure that caused problems in other provinces.

He said all doctors could not be promoted to grade 18 as that would violate the Civil Service Act 1974. He said the immediate package doctors had demanded alone would cost Rs4.72 billion. He said the government committee had met all stake holders in the matter in compliance with the court orders. He said YDA Punjab representatives had been asked to submit proposals for a service structure in keeping with rules in other provinces.

YDA Punjab representative Nasir Abbas said they were not demanding official vehicles or houses. He said after completing 18 years’ of education a doctor deserved special perks and appointment in grade 18. Justice Ahsan adjourned the hearing till July 24.

Petition filed by Advocate Muhammad Azhar Siddique seeks directions for the cancellation of the licences of doctors who go on strike. The court has also been requested to declare the YDA an illegal organisation.

The petitioner has submitted that the doctors’ refusal to treat the patients in the hospitals was a denial of the fundamental rights of patients.

It says that as government servants the doctors could not form a union.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 21st, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Doctors’ strike: Government files review petition against LHC order</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/406387/doctors%e2%80%99-strike-government-files-review-petition-against-lhc-order</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/406387/doctors%e2%80%99-strike-government-files-review-petition-against-lhc-order#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 10 Jul 12 20:12:57 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondents]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=406387</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[AG says court issued directions on matters that a service tribunal was to decide.]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Punjab government on Tuesday filed a review petition against a Lahore High Court order, issued on July 7, asking the judge to elaborate on it.


The court had suspended all show-cause notices as well as those notifying termination and suspension of young doctors who were on a strike.

The petition has been filed through the advocate general (AG) and says that the order issued by Justice Ijazul Ahsan left many questions unanswered. It says that the judge has issued directions on matters that were to be taken up by a services tribunal. The government stated that the order also gave the impression that no case could be registered against the doctors.

It referred to an incident where ‘young doctors’ had locked up and “tortured” a Special Branch official at Services Hospital.

Do doctors enjoy immunity in such instances, asks the petition. It has been pointed out in the review plea that the petitions being heard by the court had sought action against the doctors and cancellation of their licences. However, says the petition, the court ignored the prayer and gave relief to young doctors, “which was never sought”.

Govt, doctors meet  

Representatives of the doctors’ associations and government officials met at the Services and General Administration Department (S&amp;GAD) on Tuesday to discuss a new service structure the doctors are demanding.

No significant headway was reported.

Dr Amir Ali Bandesha, Dr Nasir Bokhari and Dr Abubakar attended the meeting on behaalf of the Young Doctors Association Punjab while Dr Tanveer Anwar, Dr Abrar Ashraf Ali and Dr Izhar Chaudhry represented the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA).

The meeting was chaired by Khawaja Salman Rafique, special assistant to the chief minister on health.

Secretaries for health, finance, law, prosecution and regulation departments were also present.

“The participants agreed that uninterrupted medical facilities be provided to patients, a new service structure be devised and solutions to the problems faced by doctors figured out,” said Dr Chaudhry, the PMA secretary general. The committee will meet again in three days.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 11th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>YDA strike: Government wants LHC order reviewed</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/406276/yda-strike-government-wants-lhc-order-reviewed</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/406276/yda-strike-government-wants-lhc-order-reviewed#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 10 Jul 12 15:36:14 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=406276</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Punjab government says LHC's order implies that doctors cannot be booked in any case.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Punjab government filed a review petition on Tuesday against a Lahore High Court order of July 7 wherein the court suspended all terminations, suspensions and show-cause notices issued by the government to the young doctors participating in strikes.

The review petition filed through Advocate General Punjab read that the order issued by Justice Ijazul Ahsan left many questions which needed to be answered.

The petition further said that the court had issued directions on matters to be taken up by a services tribunal.

The government stated that the order also gave an impression that doctors could not be booked in any case as they enjoyed immunity under the Punjab Health Care Commission Act, 2010. It referred to a recent incident where young doctors tortured a Special Branch’s personnel at the Services Hospital and also held him in illegal detention. Whether the doctors also enjoy immunity against registration of a case of such incidents, the petition questioned.

The review petition further pointed out that the petitions heard earlier by the court had sought action against the young doctors and cancellation of their licenses but the court, ignoring the prayer, extended relief to young doctors, which was never sought by anyone.

The government requested the court to clarify its July 7, 2012, order explaining the queries mentioned in the review petition.]]>
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			<title>YDA strike: Doctors agree to go back to work</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/405602/yda-strike-doctors-agree-to-go-back-to-work</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/405602/yda-strike-doctors-agree-to-go-back-to-work#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 08 Jul 12 20:11:56 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[ali.usman]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=405602</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Spokesman says YDA retains right to resume strike in 15 days if there is no  progress on service structure.]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Young Doctors Association (YDA) Punjab called off its strike on Sunday and announced that its members would get back to work at outpatient departments in public hospitals from 9:00am on Monday in compliance with the Lahore High Court’s orders.


Doctors went back to their jobs at indoor departments straight after the announcement, which was made at a press briefing at Allama Iqbal Medical College by YDA Punjab spokesman Dr Nasir Bokhari.

Dr Bokhari said the doctors were calling off their strike because they accepted the court’s orders, but the government had not demonstrated the same spirit as it had not withdrawn policemen from hospitals.

The LHC had on Saturday ordered the doctors to end their strike and the government not to harass them in anyway. “We have called off our strike because we trust the judiciary. We are hopeful that the court will also look into a false [murder] case registered against young doctors. Our four brothers are still behind bars and await justice,” said Dr Bokhari.

He said that the doctors were not giving up their fight for a revised service structure. He said that the court had directed a special committee of government and doctors’ representatives to come up with proposals for the service structure within 15 days. He said if concrete progress were not made in 15 days, the association had the right to go back on strike. “When we are pushed against the wall and denied our rights, we will go on strike,” he said.

The spokesman said the decision to call off strike was taken by the General Council. He said that the YDA had been forced to go on strike because the government had been ignoring their needs. “We go on strike when we are compelled to do so. We hope that the service structure matter is resolved on the court’s orders once and for all,” he said.

Dr Bokhari said that the deployment of policemen at hospitals had deterred several doctors from joining their duties. The government said earlier that it had deployed the policemen for the security of new doctors hired to treat patients while the YDA was on strike. Asked about the new doctors, the YDA Punjab spokesman said: “I didn’t hire them and I cannot fire them.”

He said that the YDA Punjab would meet again on Monday to discuss its plans. “The General Council is in Lahore and in case any action is taken against doctors or things get worse, we can make a quick decision,” said YDA Punjab Media Coordinator Dr Aftab.

The YDA started its strike on June 18.

Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Health Khawaja Salman Rafique welcomed the YDA decision to send its members back to work. He said that the government would comply fully with the court’s orders.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 9th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Complying with LHC, Young Doctors call off strike</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/405458/complying-with-lhc-young-doctors-call-off-strike</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/405458/complying-with-lhc-young-doctors-call-off-strike#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 08 Jul 12 16:49:54 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[ali.usman]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=405458</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[“Whenever we are pushed to the wall and our rights are violated, we will go back on strike”]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Young Doctors Association (YDA) Punjab called off its strike on Sunday and announced they would resume duties in OPDs and Indoor Departments from 9:00am Monday, to comply with the Lahore High Court’s decision.

At a press briefing at Allama Iqbal Medical College, YDA Punjab Dr Nasir Bokhari said doctors were calling their strike off and accepting court orders, however, so far the government hadn’t withdrawn police officials from hospitals. He said that although the doctors were calling their strike off, their fight for the service structure would continue.

He said the court had directed the Punjab government to fulfill its proposals regarding service structure within 15 days and if it doesn’t do so, YDA Punjab has the right to go back on strike again.

“Whenever we are pushed to the wall and our rights are violated, we will go back on strike,” he said.

Earlier the Lahore High Court (LHC) has instructed government-employed doctors to return to work at all hospital wards and end their strike completely from Sunday, while also suspending termination, suspension and show cause notices issued to the striking doctors by the Punjab government.

The court had also directed the committee set up to review the doctors’ demands to start negotiations with the Young Doctors Association (YDA) and conclude them within two weeks, while regularly updating the LHC on the minutes of committee meetings.]]>
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			<title>In A Fix: YDA Punjab’s general council to meet today</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/405139/in-a-fix-yda-punjab%e2%80%99s-general-council-to-meet-today</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/405139/in-a-fix-yda-punjab%e2%80%99s-general-council-to-meet-today#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 07 Jul 12 20:53:44 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[ali.usman]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=405139</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The official YDA Punjab Facebook page reflects the difference of opinion among its members on how to move forward.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[After the Lahore High Court directed young doctors on Saturday to end their strike, the Young Doctors Association (YDA) Punjab convened a general council meeting for Sunday (today).


The agenda: whether or not they should resume duties at OPDs and wards and how to ensure that their demand for a new service structure is met.

Several association office bearers, who requested anonymity, told The Express Tribune that many members still opposed calling off the strike because they believed that once they did, their demand won’t be met. Some have suggested that doctors submit resignations en masse to the Punjab government to avoid being held for contempt, said a YDA leader. He said that there are many members who thought the young doctors should not resume duties, come what may, and instead call for a ‘long march’.

“There was a proposal that we go back to the OPDs and register our protest by wearing black armbands,” said another member – who spoke on the condition of anonymity –, “or set up ‘tent OPDs’ for 15 days” – the time given by the court to the Punjab government to develop a service structure. “This way we will have obeyed the court’s order and the ball will be in the government’s court,” commented an office bearer who did not wish to be named.

The official YDA Punjab Facebook page reflects the difference of opinion among its members on how to move forward. “Don’t call off indoor, out-patients strike until we have a service structure. It’s NOW or NEVER,” reads a wall post.

“Mass resignations should be collected by [the] YDA as a last resort... it should be mentioned that [we are] resigning [to protest] unfair treatment by the Punjab government... intimidation and state terrorism,” reads a post by Aasim Iqbal Bela.

“Mass resignations are what government wants,” differs another, “They will throw the YDA out of the game... Why do you want to quit?”

Rana Siddique says, “The court decision must be [followed]. Also, a [comprehensive] service structure should be presented to the court.”

Dr Nasir Bokhari, the YDA Punjab spokesperson, said that a “final decision” will be taken after the general council meeting, which will be attended by YDA presidents in 24 districts.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 8th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Doctors’ strike: Get back to work at all wards, court tells YDA</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/405137/doctors%e2%80%99-strike-get-back-to-work-at-all-wards-court-tells-yda</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/405137/doctors%e2%80%99-strike-get-back-to-work-at-all-wards-court-tells-yda#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 07 Jul 12 20:25:32 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[rana.tanveer]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=405137</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[LHC suspends show cause, suspension and termination notices served on doctors.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Lahore High Court (LHC) has instructed government-employed doctors to return to work at all hospital wards and end their strike completely from Sunday, while also suspending termination, suspension and show cause notices issued to the striking doctors by the Punjab government.


The court also directed the committee set up to review the doctors’ demands to start negotiations with the Young Doctors Association (YDA) and conclude them within two weeks, while regularly updating the LHC on the minutes of committee meetings.

On Friday, Justice Ijazul Ahsan of the LHC had directed the doctors to “show good will by calling off the strike immediately and commencing work at emergencies at 9am on Saturday”.

Members of the YDA have been boycotting their jobs at outpatient departments at public hospitals since June 18. They expanded the strike to include emergency wards earlier this month after the Punjab government adopted a more aggressive approach to try and end it.

While the YDA took Friday’s order to mean they could continue with their strike at wards other than emergency care, Justice Ahsan made clear in Saturday’s order that he expected the doctors to return to work at all wards from 8pm on Sunday.

Asked by reporters outside the courtroom if the YDA would now end its strike, YDA Punjab President Dr Hamid Butt and General Secretary Dr Sohail Nasir said that this would be decided at a meeting of the YDA’s general council.

Muhammad Azhar Siddiqui, counsel for the petitioners who had challenged the strike in the LHC, said that the YDA representatives’ statement was tantamount to contempt of court. He said that he would file a contempt plea on Monday against the doctors if they did not return to work.

Harassment and contempt

In Saturday’s proceedings, YDA counsel Advocate Raja Zulqarnain said that the government was continuing to harass the young doctors despite the court’s unambiguous instructions on Friday to desist. He said that doctors had been served show cause and termination notices after Friday’s proceedings, which showed the government’s contempt for the court orders.

Additional Advocate General Faisal Zaman rejected the charge, saying that the show cause notices and termination letters had been issued to the doctors on Friday morning, before the court gave its directions.

He argued that all the actions taken by the government were lawful under the Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability Act. He said after the court’s orders, the health secretary had issued a notification mentioning the LHC order and forwarded it to the home secretary, the Lahore police chief and other departments concerned.

Justice Ahsan asked the YDA counsel to file a separate petition against the alleged harassment. He gave the YDA president time to detail the allegedly illegal actions taken by the government against the protesting doctors.

The judge assured the doctors that the court would not allow any illegal action. He said that the doctors’ demands for a revised service structure were not unreasonable.

Zaman argued that the service structure matter was before the Supreme Court and the LHC should await its verdict. He said a committee set up by the SC had already proposed a service structure.

About the murder case against several doctors at Mayo Hospital over the death of a child, Advocate Zulqernain said that the government had passed the Punjab Healthcare Commission Act in 2010 under which the police could not register murder cases against doctors until the matter was referred to the commission. He said a case could only be registered against doctors under Section 322 (manslaughter).

But Zaman argued that Section 322 applied only if a patient died while receiving medical treatment. In this case, he said, the infant died because he was denied medical treatment.

He said that the child had been buried without an autopsy but the police would exhume the body to determine cause of death. On the request of the father, the judge ordered the government to set up a medical board to supervise the exhumation process and the post-mortem. The court also directed the investigating officer to submit a challan by Monday against the doctors involved in the murder case.

Representatives of the Young Doctors Association were asked in court if they would end their strike completely if the arrested doctors were released. They were unable to give a definitive answer on this.

The judge directed the assistant advocate general to present arguments on why a murder case had been registered against the doctors when the hearing resumes on July 13. He asked the YDA counsel to file a separate petition for the cancellation of the murder FIR.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 8th, 2012. ]]>
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			<title>LHC quashes government actions, directs YDA to end strike</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/404959/lhc-orders-young-doctors-to-end-strike-by-sunday</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/404959/lhc-orders-young-doctors-to-end-strike-by-sunday#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 07 Jul 12 07:48:22 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[rana.tanveer]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=404959</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[LHC tells YDA to return to their posts by Sunday after it suspended all government actions.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[&nbsp;

After the doctors chose to return to their posts in emergency wards of hospitals across the province, the Lahore High Court paved the way for the protesting doctors to completely end their strike of indoor and out patient departments after it suspended all government actions including termination, suspension and show cause notices to protesting doctors.

&nbsp;

On Saturday the LHC also issued fresh orders for doctors to completely end their strike at indoor and out patient departments by Sunday.

&nbsp;

On Friday Justice Ijazul Ahsan of the LHC had directed doctors part of the Young Doctors Association (YDA) to end their strike at emergency wards, the doctors had subsequently complied. Justice Ahsan on Friday directed the committee constituted by the Punjab government to resolve the issue and to submit its recommendations on the issue within two weeks. He asked the AAG to ensure submission of the minutes of the meetings to be held by the said committee and also directed to include young doctors’ representatives in the committee.

&nbsp;

During the course of arguments, the law officer asked the young doctors that will they end their strike completely if the four arrested doctors were released? However, YDA president and general secretary remained reluctant to give any assurance to this effect, even when the court repeated the question.

&nbsp;

Additional advocate general Faisal Zaman further argued that the matter related to the service structure for the young doctors was sub-judice before the Supreme Court, therefore, the LHC should delay its directions on the issue. He said a committee made by the SC had already submitted its proposed service structure.

&nbsp;

On apprehensions frequently expressed by the young doctors, Justice Ahsan remarked that the court will not allow any illegal action. “The courts are independent and this time we will make a new history,” he said. The judge further observed that the demand of the young doctors for service structure was not illogical.

&nbsp;

After the LHC decision, YDA president Hamid Butt and general secretary Nasir Butt while talking to the media out of the court room said that general council of Young Doctors Association will decide whether to comply with the order of the Lahore High Court about ending the strike completely from Monday or otherwise.

&nbsp;

Advocate Azhar Siddique, the counsel for petitioner, termed this statement of YDA representatives as contempt of court and announced to file a contempt of court petition on Monday if the young doctors failed to obey the LHC order.

&nbsp;

During the court’s proceedings on Saturday, the counsel for YDA Advocate Raja Zulqarnain told the court that the government has continued to harass the young doctors despite the court orders clearly warning the government against it on Friday.

&nbsp;

He alleged that after Friday’s proceedings, the government issued show cause notices to protesting doctors and also terminated many of them. He claimed that the act of the government was tantamount to contempt of court.

&nbsp;

Additional advocate general Faisal Zaman refuted the allegations and said that the show cause notices and termination letters were issued to the doctors on Friday morning before the court’s directions.

&nbsp;

He argued that all actions taken by the government were lawful and under PEEDA Act. He said after the court’s restraining order, the Punjab health secretary had issued a notification mentioning the LHC order and forwarded it to the home secretary, CCPO Lahore and other concerned departments.

&nbsp;

Justice Ijazul Ahsan asked the YDA’s counsel to file a separate petition against the alleged harassment and the court said it will pass an order if the government is found guilty of violation.

&nbsp;

Against murder case of a minor at Mayo Hospital, Advocate Zulqarnain argued that after Punjab health care commission act, doctors could not be booked under section 302 of the PPC. He said in case of a patient’s death, the matters had to be referred to the commission for investigation before registration of any case. The case could only be lodged under section 322 of the PPC. He asked the court to quash the murder case registered against the doctors of Mayo Hospital.

&nbsp;

At this Zaman told the court that the section 322 of PPC applied in case a patient died during medical treatment however in this case, the patient lost died due to denial of medical treatment.

&nbsp;

He pointed out that minor boy Fahad was laid to rest without an autopsy and the police was trying to exhume the body so that the cause of death could be determined.

&nbsp;

On request of the counsel of victim’s father, the judge ordered the government to constitute a medical board to supervise the exhumation process and postmortem.

&nbsp;

The court also directed the investigating officer to submit a charge sheet by Monday against the doctors involved in the murder case.

&nbsp;

The judge adjourned further hearing till Monday (July 9) and directed the AAG to come up with arguments on the point whether murder case under section 302 of PPC against doctors could be lodged. He asked YDA’s counsel to file a separate petition for cancellation of the murder FIR.]]>
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			<title>Healthcare crisis: Punjab medics call off strike – partially</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/404873/healthcare-crisis-punjab-medics-call-off-strike-%e2%80%93-partially</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/404873/healthcare-crisis-punjab-medics-call-off-strike-%e2%80%93-partially#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 06 Jul 12 23:02:16 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[ali.usman]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=404873</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[YDA doctors resume duties at emergency wards, decide to continue strike at OPDs and indoor departments.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Young Doctors’ Association (YDA) partially called off their over two-week long strike late Friday in compliance with a court order.


Earlier in the day, the Lahore High Court (LHC) gave the medics until 9am today (Saturday) to end their strike and resume duties in the emergency wards of all state-run hospitals of the province.

“We have decided to immediately rejoin our duties at emergency wards. If we save just one life during the whole night, we will consider it our success,” YDA Punjab spokesperson Dr Nasir Bokhari told a media briefing.

He, however, added that their strike at OPDs and indoor departments would continue. “We are thankful to the LHC for listening to our grievances,” he said.

Apart from asking medics to call off their strike, the LHC also restrained the Punjab government from harassing and arresting doctors from the YDA.

“This court expects doctors to show bona fide and goodwill by calling off their strike immediately and resuming work at emergencies at 9am, Saturday,” says an order read out by Justice Ijazul Ahsan.

“Likewise … no unlawful hindrance or restriction would be caused in the resumption of work by doctors. In addition, the Punjab government shall not cause undue harassment or conduct raids at the residences of the doctors.”

The ruling was given on a petition filed by the Judicial Activism Panel. The petitioner had sought cancellation of licences of protesting doctors, scrutiny of their medical degrees and strict disciplinary action against them.

The court also summoned YDA leaders, including its President Hamid Butt, today and asked Additional Advocate General Faisal Zaman Khan to submit the investigation record of a case registered against medics over the death of an infant during the strike at the Mayo Hospital.

The investigation officer of the case has also been summoned.

The court asked the YDA to submit its viewpoint and reply to the petition by July 9. The Pakistan Medical &amp; Dental Council will furnish its reply in a week’s time.

On Friday, no YDA representative was present in the courtroom and their attorney said his clients were unable to show up fearing arrests. The court then directed the Punjab government to allow doctors free access to the court. The hearing was adjourned till 2pm.

After the recess, YDA General Secretary Nasir Abbas appeared before the court and claimed that the provincial government was harassing medics as police were conducting raids on their residences.

There is no service structure for the doctors who were compelled to go on strike as the government was not willing to heed their grievances, according to Abbas.

Health Secretary Arif Nadeem told the court that police had detained 32 doctors – but all of them have been released since.

To a court query, he said the government had no objection if the doctors rejoined their duties at the emergency wards. He, however, pointed out that the government has started hiring new medics.

The court observed that all stakeholders sit together to find a viable solution to the problem. It said that the issue was mishandled, which worsened the situation in hospitals.

(Read: Doctors’ strike - other side of the picture)

Published in The Express Tribune, July 7th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Medical Negligence: Hospital starts probe into infant’s death</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/404174/medical-negligence-hospital-starts-probe-into-infant%e2%80%99s-death</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/404174/medical-negligence-hospital-starts-probe-into-infant%e2%80%99s-death#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 06 Jul 12 00:18:51 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=404174</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Relatives allege that the child died after doctors administered an injection which was supposed to make her sleep.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Allied Hospital administration have started an inquiry into the death of a one-and-a-half year old child allegedly due to negligence by doctors on duty at the Emergency Ward of the hospital.


Some relatives of the child had staged a demonstration at the hospital and blamed the doctors for her death.

Her father Muhammad Shehzad, a resident of Guru Nanak Pura in Gujranwala, said she had died following the administration of an injection by a nurse.

“She fainted after she was given that injection.

The doctor told me it was meant to make her sleep,” he said. But, he said, the child passed away a few minutes later.

Shehzad and his family were in Faisalabad to visit a relative in Nishatabad. The child had been taken to the hospital after she suffered food poisoning and started vomiting on Thursday morning.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 6th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>End of strike?: Young doctors limit work to emergencies</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/404212/end-of-strike-young-doctors-limit-work-to-emergencies</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/404212/end-of-strike-young-doctors-limit-work-to-emergencies#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 05 Jul 12 23:44:02 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=404212</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Govt says things are returning to ‘normal’; YDA disagrees.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Young Doctors Association (YDA) did not call off its strike on Thursday despite a statement to the contrary made by Law Minister Rana Sanaullah on Wednesday night.


Sanaullah had said that doctors would resume duties – in the emergency wards, indoor and out-patient departments at all hospitals.

The doctors who resumed their duties at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) Lahore, PIC Faisalabad and PIC Multan, however, limited their services to the Emergency Wards only. And while Indoor and Out Patient Departments in most of the hospitals opened on Thursday, the number of doctors available there was low.

Dr Mudassir Razzaq Khan, a YDA general council member, told The Express Tribune that the doctors had resumed duties in “Emergency Wards of some hospitals”. Dr Khan said the strike would continue until their demand for a new service structure was accepted by the Punjab government. He also demanded that the government withdraw all cases registered against doctors.

Speaking at a press conference at PIC Lahore, Dr Zeeshan, another YDA member, said that the release of YDA members working at the PIC was “not enough”. “All doctors detained by the Punjab government should be set free immediately,” he said. A Health Department spokesperson, however, said things were returning to “normal” after the 18-day crisis. He urged all doctors to return to hospitals and resume their duties.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 6th, 2012.]]>
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			</item><item>
			<title>Despite government overtures, YDA continues strike for real demands</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/404106/despite-government-overtures-yda-continues-strike-for-real-demands</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/404106/despite-government-overtures-yda-continues-strike-for-real-demands#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 05 Jul 12 17:51:14 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=404106</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[YDA members say strike to continue until demand for service structure is accepted; arrested doctors released.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Young Doctors Association (YDA) did not call off its strike on Thursday despite a statement made by the Provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah on Wednesday night claiming that doctors would return to their duties at emergencies, indoor and out-patient departments at all hospitals.

Though the situation in hospitals has improved, the deadlock between the Punjab government and YDA remains intact. Resuming their duties at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) Lahore, PIC Faisalabad and PIC Multan, the doctors however limited their services to emergency wards only.

Indoor and out-patient departments in hospitals remained open on Thursday but the doctors available there were short in number. A senior doctor while commenting said that the situation despite the hurdles has shown improvement.

Talking to The Express Tribune, General council member YDA Dr Mudassir Razzaq Khan said that the YDA had indeed resumed its duties at some hospitals but added that their services were available only in the emergency wards. He confirmed that the strike by the YDA is still in progress, adding that it will continue till their demands regarding the service structure is accepted by the Punjab government.

Dr Khan further demanded that the government withdraw all cases against doctors as well as releasing and dropping all charges against four, out of the seven doctors, who were arrested.

Speaking at a press conference held at the PIC Lahore, YDA member Dr Zeeshan said that despite the fact that all YDA members of PIC had been freed by the Punjab government, this was not "enough" and that "all doctors detained by the Punjab government should be immediately set free."

However, a health department spokesperson said that after the recent crisis, the situation was moving towards "normalcy." He urged all the doctors to return to hospitals and resume their duties.

The Punjab law minister had claimed on Wednesday that the YDA had called off its strike after a meeting, which was held with senior doctors.  Sanaullah had claimed that an agreement had been reached according to which the senior doctors had assured the government that the YDA will resume its duties after the release of all detained doctors and dropping of all charges against them .]]>
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			<title>Govt claims strike called off, doctors says it’s on</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/403898/govt-claims-strike-called-off-doctors-says-it%e2%80%99s-on</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/403898/govt-claims-strike-called-off-doctors-says-it%e2%80%99s-on#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 05 Jul 12 03:52:28 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[ali.usman]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=403898</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Punjab govt says detained doctors are being released immediately.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Conflicting reports about the young doctors’ strike in Punjab emerged on Wednesday. While the Punjab government claimed the strike had been called off, the Young Doctors Associations’ (YDA) Punjab chapter denied any such development.


Talking to reporters after a two-hour meeting with senior professors, principals and representatives of the Medical Teachers Association (MTA) on Wednesday, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah claimed the YDA had called off its strike, adding that all detained doctors will be released and cases against them withdrawn.  The minister added that senior doctors had guaranteed the striking doctors will resume their out-patient department (OPD), indoor department and emergency duties.

An official statement by the Punjab government read, “YDA’s strike has been called off and all doctors shall resume duties in their respective hospitals forthwith. The doctors under detention are being released immediately.”

YDA Punjab office-bearers meanwhile claimed the strike had not been called off.

“We will resume our duties… when our fellow doctors return from jails. The strike at the OPDs and indoor departments will continue till we win a new service structure,” YDA Lahore spokesperson Dr Aftab told The Express Tribune.

Dr Mudassir Razzaq Khan, a YDA General Council member, who has been terminated from his service, echoed the same remarks.

“The strike has not been called off. We will resume duties… after the release of all doctors, the revocation of FIRs, and the cancellation of terminations and transfers,” he said.

Earlier on Wednesday, senior doctors criticised the government for arresting young doctors. A meeting of the Shaikh Zayed Hospital faculty members condemned police torture on the arrested doctors. They demanded cases against doctors be quashed and all arrested doctors be freed soon. They also sided with young doctors on the service structure issue and said treatments to patients would be provided despite all the demands. Senior doctors of Lahore General Hospital also demanded the release of young doctors in a joint resolution. They said they could not work without young doctors at the hospitals.

The MTA of the Services Hospital also held its general body meeting, condemning the crackdown against doctors. The meeting demanded the unconditional release of all detained doctors. It also demanded that unconditional apology tendered by 24 doctors should not be advertised as it defamed other doctors.

Meanwhile, a Health Department official said the Punjab government had talked to private hospitals regarding the accommodation of poor patients. He said Medical Superintendents of teaching hospitals had been authorised to recruit 50 house officers each.

&nbsp;

Published in The Express Tribune, July 5th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Doctors’ strike: other side of the picture</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/403634/doctors%e2%80%99-strike-other-side-of-the-picture</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/403634/doctors%e2%80%99-strike-other-side-of-the-picture#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 04 Jul 12 17:52:31 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[ali.usman]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=403634</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Govt needs to learn backdoor negotiations to win the doctors if it really wants to improve the healthcare system.]]>
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				<![CDATA[I was at Piccadilly, the cafeteria at the King Edward Medical University (KEMU) and Mayo Hospital, with a doctor friend when another doctor came to our table and broke the news that some 450 doctors had been transferred by the Punjab government. “Are the transferred ones from the Young Doctors’ Association (YDA)?,” inquired my friend. “Yes”, he replied.

“The government will have to withdraw these orders. It’s an attempt to break the YDA but it will backfire”, said my friend. This was April 11, 2012. At that time, I thought my friend’s prediction was a valid one. But the next few days proved me wrong. The doctors had been transferred to adjust 691 newly-recruited doctors. In protest, the YDA, Punjab announced to go on strike in Lahore from April 12. On April 16, the YDA extended the strike to the rest of Punjab and put up an additional demand of being provided with a service structure, which attracted doctors from across the province and even those who had not been transferred started supporting the strike. On April 19, the strike was called off after the government withdrew the transfers. However, by then, the demand for a service structure had been raised and the YDA asked the government to comply with it.

However, no development took place on the provision of a service structure and the YDA announced that it would again go on strike from May 9. After the strike announcement, the government negotiated with the doctors and a committee was formed to submit its proposals to change the service structure by June 7. The deadline expired without a consensus developing between the government and the YDA on the issue. From June 18, the YDA started its province-wide strike.

Many believe that going on strike was a mistake on the part of the YDA. That may be true, but in my opinion, the Punjab government committed an even bigger mistake by starting a crackdown on doctors on July 1. I have been reporting on this issue from day one, and I know that by July 1, the YDA, Punjab had divided into two groups. Its members from south Punjab weren’t willing to continue with the strike and same was the case with the members from Gujranwala. Had the government not arrested the doctors, the situation would have fizzled out and the strike would have failed. The government’s crackdown, however, united the entire medical community.

The problem is that every time the YDA came on the roads to protest, their demands were accepted, which made it believe that they only had to come out on the roads and their problems will be solved. Had the government avoided acceding to the YDA demands in this manner, things would have been different. And if the government hadn’t employed highhanded methods, the situation would have returned to normalcy. The raids on doctors’ hostels and their arrest gave the medical community the higher moral ground to continue with their strike, which has worsened the situation.

Every day, numerous Pakistani doctors are hired by Middle Eastern countries. This trend has to be halted but this will never happen if the government insists on registering criminal cases against doctors. The government needs to handle such situations in an appropriate manner. It needs to learn to do backdoor negotiations to win the doctors to its side if it really wants to improve the healthcare system. Doctors, too, need to understand that they shouldn’t be led by those who believe in indulging in hooliganism in order to achieve their ends.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 5th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>PMA Sindh announces daily two-hour boycott in solidarity with Punjab YDA</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/403583/pma-sindh-announces-daily-two-hour-boycott-in-solidarity-with-punjab-yda</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/403583/pma-sindh-announces-daily-two-hour-boycott-in-solidarity-with-punjab-yda#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 04 Jul 12 16:22:57 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[z.ali]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=403583</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[PMA Sindh also warns that a province-wide movement will be launched if their grievances are not addressed.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Expressing solidarity with the young doctors of Punjab, the Pakistan Medical Association (Sindh) has announced to observe a token strike of two hours every day. They have also warned that a complete boycott and province-wide demonstrations would follow if the doctors’ issues were not addressed.

At a press conference on Wednesday, the PMA Sindh’s general secretary, Dr Hadi Bux Jatoi, alleged that the Punjab government was misleading the people and the media about the doctors’ demands. “Young doctors are not demanding an increment but implementation of the service structure formula for timely promotions,” he clarified.

"If the Punjab government doesn’t mend its ways then the doctors in Sindh will also take to the streets to express their solidarity.”

Jatoi asked for constituting a judicial commission for probing the ongoing situation in Punjab. "The government in Punjab or even in Sindh can't stifle our demands by means of incriminating us."

The PMA also condemned the FIRs registered against four doctors accused of being responsible for the death of patients. "If this is justified then the government should also book Rehman Malik and police officials for failing to stop the killings in Karachi," Dr Waseem Shaikh argued.

Meanwhile in Karachi, an emergency meeting was called at the PMA House by the PMA Central committee to condemn the arrest of Punjab doctors and raids made at their houses.

The association’s president, Prof. Dr Tipu Sultan, said that doctors in Punjab were fighting for their legitimate rights of service structures and promotions.

Dr Samrina Hashmi, the president of PMA Sindh, also lamented the stubborn behavior of the Punjab chief minister. She said that the doctors would have been flexible if the government releases all of their colleagues.

Around nine doctors are still being held in custody.

The PMA members appealed to President Asif Ali Zardari and the Punjab governor, Latif Khosa, to act immediately in defusing the situation and to alleviate the unrest and fear from the doctors’ community.]]>
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			<title>More to come from doctors: Substitutes take over as YDA vows to up the ante</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/403177/more-to-come-from-doctors-substitutes-take-over-as-yda-vows-to-up-the-ante</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/403177/more-to-come-from-doctors-substitutes-take-over-as-yda-vows-to-up-the-ante#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 04 Jul 12 00:32:41 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[mudassir.raja]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=403177</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Some young doctors also reported to work, while senior doctors continue to perform duties.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Over 3,000 patients were examined at the OPDs of Rawalpindi’s three allied hospital on Tuesday by senior, army and newly-inducted doctors. 


Members of Young Doctors Association (YDA, on the other hand, continued their strike on the 16th day and did not attend outdoor patient departments (OPDs) and indoor patient departments at Holy Family (HFH), Benazir Bhutto (BBH) and District Headquarters (DHH) hospitals .

A visit to HFH revealed it was not easy for the newly-inducted and army doctors to deal with the increasing number of patients visiting OPDs, owing primarily to the hot weather. As many as 1,267 patients were examined at HFH, 1,250 at BBH and over 1,000 at DHQ by doctors as YDA continued its boycott.

Discussions with doctors on duty further revealed that senior doctors were also uneasy with the situation. We are performing our duties but are not happy with the way the Punjab government is treating protesting doctors, said a senior doctor.

A senior registrar said doctors were not ready to tolerate torture and arrests by Punjab police and if the government failed to deal with the issue, senior doctors could also publicly express their anger.

Meanwhile, an administrator at HFH said new doctors were inexperienced, while army doctors had not dealt with civilians before and were finding it hard to cope with the increasing number of patients.

BBH Medical Superintendent Dr Asif Qadir Mir informed the media that the numbers of protesting doctors attending their duties vary as YDA representatives discourage them from attending patients at OPDs. He hoped the situation would improve in the coming days as all patients were attended to on Tuesday. Some 30 protesting doctors were on duty at BBH and the administration was hopeful others would follow their example.

When contacted, Rawalpindi Medical College Principal Dr Mussadaq Khan said all senior doctors were on duty. He was of the view that the addition of new and army doctors and medical practitioners from rural areas has eased the situation at tertiary hospitals in the city.

Replying to a question, Dr Khan said he was hopeful the Punjab government would resolve the crisis.

Meanwhile, YDA representatives in Rawalpindi expressed their resolve to intensify their protest after the ‘cruel’ attitude of the police with their colleagues in Lahore.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 4th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>YDA strike violates Hippocratic oath, Constitution, says LHC judge</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/403031/yda-strike-violates-hippocratic-oath-constitution-says-lhc-judge</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/403031/yda-strike-violates-hippocratic-oath-constitution-says-lhc-judge#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 03 Jul 12 14:37:24 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=403031</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Petitioner calls for cancelling licences of doctors on strike. Punjab law officer says strike violates SC orders.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Justice Ijazul Ahsan of the Lahore High Court on Tuesday remarked that doctors who were participating in the current strike were not only violating their Hippocratic oaths but that their actions also violated the Constitution.

He said the oath of doctors does not allow them to go on strike, and that by doing so they have disgraced the oath by violating it.

Justice Ahsan gave these remarks while hearing a petition seeking directions for cancelation of practice licenses and scrutiny of degrees for the doctors participating in the ongoing strike, denying to treat patients at government hospitals, eventually resulting in the death of several patients.

“The doctors can’t go on strikes after leaving the patients unattended. They have been bounded by their oath to treat the patients whenever they will come for treatment,” Jutstice Ahsan further observed.

Justice Ahsan issued notice to Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), Punjab government and Young Doctors Association (YDA) for their reply by the next hearing on July 6.

Advocate Muhammad Azhar Siddique, who filed the civil miscellaneous application in his already pending petition challenging the strikes of doctors, contended that the strike was against the spirit of fundamental rights and also negated the sanctity of medical profession. The petitioner requested the court to cancel the licenses of young doctors who are on strike.

“If a patient dies due to the strike of young doctors, they should be accused for the death and stern action must be taken against them,” the petitioner said. It further added that the PMDC should also investigate whether degrees of the young doctors had been acquired from accredited educational institutions or not.

During the course of hearing on Tuesday, a provincial law officer submitted that the issue of strike by doctors was also pending before the Supreme Court of Pakistan which had restrained the doctors from going on strike.

“To go on strike despite clear orders of the superior judiciary is a contempt of court,” the law officer argued.]]>
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			<title>Punjab government will not hold talks with striking doctors: Sanaullah</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/402927/senior-doctors-withdraw-services-from-pic-in-lahore</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/402927/senior-doctors-withdraw-services-from-pic-in-lahore#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 03 Jul 12 09:03:03 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[ali.usman]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=402927</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Punjab law minister says doctors persistent on holding strikes will be blacklisted, terminated.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah has said that the provincial government will not hold talks with the doctors on strike, and the ones who are persistent on holding strikes will be blacklisted and terminated.

He added that the strike will not be accepted at any cost, and added that the few doctors who are still striking will also take back their strike soon.

Meanwhile, the Punjab government accepted the unconditional apology of 24 out of 25 doctors detained under 16 MPO at Kot Lakhpat Jail, Lahore.

The doctors have been taken to Chief Minister Secretariat where they will have a meeting with Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, Senator Pervaiz Rashid and Special Assistant to Chief Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique.

An official at Central Jail told The Express Tribune, that those who have been shifted to CM Secretariat signed affidavits stating that they tender unconditional apology and wouldn’t go on strike again.

YDA office bearers, on the other hand, said these doctors weren’t YDA members but were students of medical colleges who were arrested by police without verification.

Senior doctors withdraw services from PIC in Lahore

Earlier, senior doctors at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) announced the closure of all departments at the hospital other than the Emergency ward, and demanded that arrested young doctors be released immediately.

Speaking during a press conference on Tuesday, Medical Teachers Association (MTA) President at PIC, Dr Ijaz Ahsan said that senior doctors were withdrawing their services from all departments, including the Outpatient Department (OPDs) and Indoor Departments.

“Young doctors are the backbone of our system. All arrested young doctors, particularly young doctors of PIC should be released immediately,” said Ahsan.

He said doctors currently deputed at PIC were untrained and could not handle heart patients. “It takes a doctor 10 years to do FCPS and then another five-year’s training to become a cardiologist. How could you expect new doctors to come and replace those who have already completed their training?”

Ahsan said only two doctors were present in the Emergency ward at PIC last night, adding that they had been “abused and threatened” by the attendants as they had been unable to handle the situation.

“Senior doctors are in their 50s and cannot do rigorous work for 24 hours. That is why we are demanding that our doctors should be released immediately,” Ahsan maintained.

He said the government was beguiling patients and the media by showing that they had deployed doctors at all hospitals.

Young Doctors Association (YDA) office bearer of PIC Dr Sami Ijaz said that there had been no problems at the Emergency during the young doctor’s strike as most OPD patients had been treated there. He said by conducting raids and arresting doctors the government had forced them to boycott and withdraw their services from the Emergency and Indoor as well.

Representatives of the Paramedical Alliance of PIC and Young Nurses Association (YNA) also supported the MTA and announced that they will stop working at PIC.

PIC Lahore is a specialised hospital where heart patients come from across the country for treatment.]]>
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			<title>YDA, PMA strike continues in Multan</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/402914/young-doctors-resume-duties-in-gujranwala</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/402914/young-doctors-resume-duties-in-gujranwala#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 03 Jul 12 08:00:10 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[web.desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=402914</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Strike continued at various hospitals in Multan, including the Cardiology institute and the Children’s complex.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Young doctors’ and Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) strikes continue at government-run hospitals in Multan, with no doctors reporting for duty. Army doctors and officials of the Health department have started working at Nishtar hospital.

The strike continued at various hospitals in Multan, including the Cardiology institute and the Children’s complex.

Young doctors resume duties in Gujranwala

Young doctors in Gujranwala, who had earlier gone on strike, have resumed their duties at Civil hospital, Express News reported on Tuesday. They have also said that the decision to go on strike was wrong.

The doctors have stated that even though they are back on duty, they will continue to support and protect the Young Doctors Association, adding that the government should look into the situation and address their demands.

Strict security arrangements have been made at Civil hospital.

The District Coordination Officer (DCO) of Gujranwala says that there is no longer a need for Army doctors as day to day functions had recommenced. He said Army doctors will be called in when needed.]]>
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			<title>Come what may: Teenager dies as doctors remain unmoved</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/402703/come-what-may-teenager-dies-as-doctors-remain-unmoved</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/402703/come-what-may-teenager-dies-as-doctors-remain-unmoved#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 03 Jul 12 01:00:40 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[sehrish.wasif]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=402703</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Police launch crackdown against YDA representatives.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[A teenage boy died at the District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) Rawalpindi on Monday as he could not get treatment because of strike by young doctors in the hospital.


Mother of Muhammad Jahangir, 13, alleged that her son was not attended by doctors in the medical ward despite repeated requests.

Jahangir’s mother talking to the media at the DHQ Hospital said that her son was suffering from fever and shivering when he was brought to the hospital in the morning.

A man attending his relative patient on the nearby bed also informed that the family of the deceased boy made repeated requests to the doctors to attend Jahangir.

The aggrieved mother said a doctor attended her son and administered a drip to him and left the ward. As his condition deteriorated another doctor came and pronounced him dead, the dejected mother said.

Following the death of the young boy his family protested outside the ward and chanted slogans against the doctors and the hospital administration.

After the protest of the family, opposition MNA Malik Shakeel Awan and District Coordination Officer (DCO) Saqib Zaffar held a meeting with the medical superintendent of the hospital Dr Sher Ali Niazi.

Talking to the media persons afterwards, MNA Awan said Jahangir’s parents had taken him from the hospital without consulting his doctors. He ruled out the possibility of any negligence on behalf of the doctors.

Meanwhile 15 army doctors joined the three hospitals and examined patients at Holy Family Hospital, Benazir Bhutto Hospital and DHQ.

Hundred and ten new doctors were also inducted on Monday in three hospitals of Rawalpindi.

In a related development, Rawalpindi Medical College (RMC) Principal Dr Mussadaq Khan said the summer vacations of the teaching doctors had been cancelled and they had been called back to attend patients at the three hospitals.

As many as 30 fresh lady doctors joined their duties at the three hospitals and some 40 doctors from different rural areas had been called in for emergency measures.

Meanwhile, the police conducted raids throughout the night to arrest YDA office-bears. Among others, they have arrested YDA secretary Dr Irfan. To avoid arrests YDA office-bears have gone underground, said a police official.

Lending support

To express solidarity with the young doctors, the YDA Islamabad also observed a black day on Monday. Members of YDA from three public hospitals of Islamabad — Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), Polyclinic and Capital Development Authority (CDA) Hospital — gathered outside Pims and staged a protest demonstration. They blocked road for two hours and demanded of the Punjab government to immediately release the arrested doctors and accept their demand for service structure. They also reminded the federal government of its promise of giving a service structure to the young doctors.

Addition input by Our Correspondent in Gilgit

Published in The Express Tribune, July 3rd, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Healthcare crisis: Punjab scrambles to control situation</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/402827/healthcare-crisis-punjab-scrambles-to-control-situation</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/402827/healthcare-crisis-punjab-scrambles-to-control-situation#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 02 Jul 12 23:37:54 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[ali.usman]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=402827</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Doctors across Pakistan express solidarity with YDA; allegations of negligence-related deaths pour in.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Now that the Punjab government has decided to take the path of union-busting against the striking doctors in public hospitals, it has a huge task ahead of it – as evidenced by Monday’s developments.


The Punjab government made frantic efforts to restore some semblance of normalcy amidst the chaos at state-run hospitals – but not before the stand-off between the government and the protesting medics from the Young Doctors Association (YDA) threatened to spread to other provinces.

Police detained dozens of medics from the YDA in late-night raids on Sunday and again on Monday after intermediaries failed to win over the doctors who have been on strike for over two weeks now.

However, the move had its repercussions – which reverberated across the country. Incensed by the crackdown in Punjab, doctors in Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa also boycotted OPDs in state-run hospitals, and have threatened to go on strike if their detained peers in Punjab were not released.

In Lahore, Out-Patient Departments (OPDs) at most public hospitals reopened after a two-week hiatus. Hundreds of new medics joined the health department on Monday – half of them were assigned Lahore’s hospitals. In addition to that, 150 doctors from Pakistan Army also joined duties – more than half of them in the provincial capital.

Authorities also invoked the Essential Services Act 1958 and fired 27 young doctors for not reporting for duty. Another 360 medics were detained under the 16 Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) law. The government has decided to get tough with the protesting doctors and find replacements to make up for the shortage caused by the YDA strike.

Deaths

As expected, accusations of negligence-related deaths began to pour in on Monday.

At Lahore’s Mayo Hospital, doctors confirmed that three patients, namely Ulfat Bibi, Muhammad Malik and Muhammd Nazir, died. However, they stressed that they died natural deaths and that they were not caused by the YDA strike.

Separately, a court remanded four YDA officials into police custody for four days on charges of criminal negligence. Dr Matloob, President YDA Mayo Hospital, Dr Usmanul Haq, Joint Secretary YDA Punjab, Dr Tajamal Butt, General Secretary YDA Mayo Hospital and their fourth associate are accused of removing a drip from an infant at Mayo Hospital who died subsequently.

In the textile city of Faisalabad, health authorities worked on war footing to make up for the shortage of doctors at Allied and Divisional Headquarters hospitals and Faisalabad Institute of Cardiology.

“Around 100 lady doctors recruited through the Punjab Public Service Commission have been posted at Faisalabad hospitals. Of these, 17 lady doctors have taken over the charge,” Dr Abdur Rauf, the executive district officer health, told journalists.

A seriously-ill man, Muhammad Asghar, died at the District Headquarters Hospital purportedly waiting for medics to attend to him. With the latest death, the number of people died “due to the doctors’ strike” has risen to seven, according to Dr Rauf.

In Rawalpindi’s District Headquarters Hospital, a teenager died of fever allegedly because no medic was available to attend to him.

Muhammad Jahangir, 13, was brought to the hospital with fever symptoms, according to his mother. “She literally begged the medics to attend to her ailing son, but to no avail,” the attendant of another patient told the media.

After the teenager’s death, the family staged a vociferous protest outside the hospital against the administration. Interestingly, local lawmaker Malik Shakeel Awan exonerated the medics of negligence charge and instead faulted the family.

In a related development, Principal of the Rawalpindi Medical College Dr Mussadaq Khan said summer vacations of all teaching staff have been cancelled and they have directed to report on duty at three hospitals of the city.

Sindh

Medics in Sindh gave the Punjab government until Tuesday to release all detained doctors or else they would also go on strike.

“The governments of Punjab and Sindh will be responsible for any deaths as a result of our strike,” Dr Samrina Hashmi, the president of the Pakistan Medical Association, Sindh chapter, told a news conference.

Doctors in most state-run hospitals of the province wore black armbands to express solidarity with their colleagues in Punjab.

PMA official Dr Mirza Ali Azhar endorsed the YDA demands and faulted the Punjab government for the Sunday night crackdown on medics. “Their (YDA)’s method may be wrong, but their demands are not,” he added.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa

In Peshawar, too, doctors supported their colleagues in Punjab. The YDA, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chapter, threatened to boycott OPDs in all state-run hospitals to express solidarity with their peers.

“We will boycott OPDs in all major hospitals of the province to press the government to release all detained doctors and accept their demands,” Dr Haider Shah, the provincial spokesperson for the YDA, told The Express Tribune.

Balochistan

The YDA, Balochistan chapter, boycotted OPDs in all state-run health facilities of Quetta. The Express Tribune correspondent saw long queues of patients at the OPDs of major health facilities, including Helper’s Hospital, Bolan Medical College Teaching Hospital, Fatima Jinnah TB Sanatorium and Sandeman Hospital.

YDA official Dr Shahzada came down hard on the Punjab government for “using force against young doctors”. He endorsed the demands of the YDA Punjab and called on the government to accept the demands.

Gilgit-Baltistan 

In Gilgit-Baltistan, doctors decided to observe a two-hour strike daily from Tuesday (today). “We stand by our colleagues in distress in Lahore and other parts of Punjab,” Ejaz Ali, President of the G-B chapter of Pakistan Medical Association, told The Express Tribune.

(Read: Protesting doctors)

(MUDASSIR RAJA in Rawalpindi, SEHRISH WASIF in Islamabad, SAMIA MALIK in Karachi, SHABBIR MIR in Gilgit and our correspondents in Faisalabad and Quetta)

Published in The Express Tribune, July 3rd, 2012. ]]>
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			<title>Another dead doctor: PMC’s medical  officer killed in Shaheed Benazirabad</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/402651/another-dead-doctor-pmc%e2%80%99s-medical-officer-killed-in-shaheed-benazirabad</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/402651/another-dead-doctor-pmc%e2%80%99s-medical-officer-killed-in-shaheed-benazirabad#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 02 Jul 12 22:59:21 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=402651</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Ibrahim Shah came under attack as he headed towards his car parked at the hospital’s entrance.]]>
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				<![CDATA[A medical officer of Peoples Medical College (PMC) in Shaheed Benazirabad district was shot dead by unidentified assailants on Monday.

Syed Ibrahim Shah, 52, was attacked around 5 pm while he was heading towards his car which was parked near the hospital’s entrance. He was shot four times and died instantly. Hafeez Khokhar, the injured driver, told the police that the attackers were on foot.

Shah was also a cousin of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s district president, Ghulam Mustafa Shah and also owned agricultural land in his native Bochehri village. According to City DSP Aijaz Memon, the killing took place because of personal enmity. However, he added, that the family did not name any person.

PMC’s medical superintendent, Dr Tufail Baloch, said that it is too early to comment on the motive of the killing but said that Dr Shah was a good professional.

The dead body was handed over to the family after postmortem. However, a case hasn’t been registered with the police yet.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 3rd, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Doctors’ strike: HRCP condemns doctors, govt for ‘wrangling’</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/402731/doctors%e2%80%99-strike-hrcp-condemns-doctors-govt-for-%e2%80%98wrangling%e2%80%99</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/402731/doctors%e2%80%99-strike-hrcp-condemns-doctors-govt-for-%e2%80%98wrangling%e2%80%99#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 02 Jul 12 20:49:01 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[press.release]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=402731</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[“Some of the doctors’ demands may be justified, but the ongoing wrangling is symptomatic of the anarchy of thought]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has expressed concern over the sufferings of the people on account of the prolonged doctors’ strike in the Punjab and the government’s failure to amicably resolve the issue.


A statement issued on Monday called upon both sides to stop wrangling for the sake of the people. It said that protests and strikes were not unheard of in Pakistan, but never had such situations led to suspension of work in the emergency wards. It said the commission believed that by abandoning their life-saving vows to press for their demands, doctors had contributed to the loss of sympathy for them.

“Some of the doctors’ demands may be justified, but the ongoing wrangling is symptomatic of the anarchy of thought,” it said. The commission also criticised the ‘coercive tactics’ used by the Punjab government.

The Commission has sought for examining the fading role and lack of representative character of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 3rd, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Mother of inventions: Young Doctors turn to Facebook, Twitter</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/402728/mother-of-inventions-young-doctors-turn-to-facebook-twitter</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/402728/mother-of-inventions-young-doctors-turn-to-facebook-twitter#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 02 Jul 12 20:38:21 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[ali.usman]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=402728</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Some members say phone calls are not safe.]]>
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				<![CDATA[“Dear all, I salute the courage of young doctors who are not coming to hospitals despite government pressure. I personally request … if you want to win please stay at homes and also… convince others not to go to hospitals. It’s important as it’s the only way we can fail [sic] government of the Punjab…”


This is a message posted by Dr Hamid Butt, the Young Doctors Association Punjab (YDA) president, on the Facebook wall of several groups on Monday.

After the Sunday night’s crackdown on protesting doctors, YDA leaders are increasingly relying on social media, particularly Facebook, to steer their campaign.

Several YDA leaders, who evaded arrest, are now using Facebook and Twitter to communicate with other members, and shunning cell phones. They have been regularly posting messages regarding the strike and strategy in several closed-groups.

“Please don’t forget the sacrifices of young doctors who are being tortured brutally by the…government of the Punjab,” Dr Butt’s post says.

YDA members are also advised to contact paramedic staff union and nurses’ union and persuade them to call for strike in case doctors are not released immediately.

“In the past whenever they needed us we were with them,” a post says.  These posts have been receiving comments calling Dr Butt “the real hero”. Some commentators have criticised Army doctors for leaving Mayo Hospital’s emergency.  Young doctors have also thanked senior doctors for their support.

A group called YDA Mayo Hospital has claimed that the media and the police were the only people at the hospitals.  Dr Mudassir Razzaq Khan, A YDA general council member, writes he is proud to have been terminated from service.

Rare criticism

Commenting on Dr Khan’s status, Dr Muzammil Iqbal, a Pakistani doctor in Australia, wrote, “The bottomline is that YDA has decided to target the… poor people....killers”.

Talking to The Express Tribune, a YDA leader, said, “We are using social media to show the facts. Telephone calls aren’t safe, so we are communicating mostly through Facebook and other social media. The government cannot stop us from raising a voice for our rights by arresting us or issuing termination letters. We will keep fighting for our rights”.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 3rd, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Doctors’ strike: Outpatients Departments reopen after 13 days</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/402716/doctors%e2%80%99-strike-outpatients-departments-reopen-after-13-days</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/402716/doctors%e2%80%99-strike-outpatients-departments-reopen-after-13-days#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 02 Jul 12 20:18:39 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[ali.usman]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=402716</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[431 new recruits, 150 doctors from Pak Army and six from Police Dept join public hospitals in the city.]]>
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				<![CDATA[The outpatient departments (OPDs) in public hospitals of the city resumed operations after 13 days on Monday as newly-recruited medical officers and doctors from Pakistan Army joined duties.


As many as 431 of the 918 recent recruits joined duties in Lahore hospitals. The government also announced to recruit 2200 more doctors to ensure smooth operations at public hospitals.

Another 150 doctors from the Medical Corps of the Pakistan Army and six from the Police Department were deployed at public hospitals to resume operations on Monday.

Bahwal Victoria Hospital medical superintendent Irshad Ahmad said operations had resumed at the facility on Monday as some young doctors resumed duties.

YDA southern Punjab president Dr Muneer Sidiqui, however, insisted that all members of his organisation were boycotting duties in protest.

Most hospitals in Lahore still reported a shortage of doctors.

A senior doctor at Mayo Hospital told The Express Tribune that the number of doctors on duty at the Emergency Ward was no more than 20 at any moment in the day.

He said there was no professor of anaesthesia at the facility. “Normally, there are 80 doctors working at the Emergency Ward,” he said.

The Health Department terminated the services of 27 young doctors under the Essential Services Act of 1958 for not joining duties on Monday. As many as 36 young doctors were arrested under the Section 16 of Maintenance of Public Order.

Chief Minister’s Special Assistant on Health Khawaja Salman Rafique announced on Monday that 2,200 more doctors would soon be hired through the Public Services Commission to manage the workload at public hospitals of the province. He said doctors from the Social Security Department would soon be assigned duties at the public hospitals as a stopgap arrangement.

Separately, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan asked the young doctors to join services on Tuesday (today) to avoid arrests and terminations from services.

He was speaking to the media after visiting Mayo Hospital and Jinnah Hospital.

The law minister rejected the suggestion that any doctor was beaten up by the police during a crackdown on Sunday night.

He said the government was in no mood to negotiate the release of the 36 arrested doctors unless the Young Doctors Association called off its strike and resumed work.

‘Black Day today’

The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) and the Medical Teachers Association (MTA) condemned use of force against striking doctors and demanded immediate release of those arrested by the police.

PMA’s Dr Abrar Ashraf said his association would observe Black Day on Tuesday to protest the arrests of doctors. “We will wear black armbands to work and hoist black flags on our offices,” he said.

SPs to supervise security at teaching hospitals 

A police officer of the rank of Superintendent of Police has been deployed at each teaching hospital of the city to supervise law and order, Inspector General of Punjab Police Muhammad Habibur Rehman said on Monday. He was speaking at a meeting to review the security situation at public hospitals.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 3rd, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Protesting doctors</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/402522/protesting-doctors</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/402522/protesting-doctors#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 02 Jul 12 17:08:45 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[editorial]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=402522</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[A crisis that should have been solved long time ago lingers on, threatens to assume increasingly ominous dimensions.]]>
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				<![CDATA[The simmering dispute between the Young Doctors Association (YDA) and the Punjab government has turned especially vicious. As the doctors — demanding better pay packages — continued the two-week strike they had called towards the end of June, the police swooped in on July 1 to arrest members of the organisation as its council met at the Services Hospital in Lahore. The key office-bearers managed to escape, while other doctors are behind bars. Last-ditch talks with senior doctors, who made efforts to bring the strike to an end had failed. The ruthless Punjab government action has made an already ugly situation far worse. Young doctors at other hospitals have joined the protest, in some cases walking away from wards. This is a very grave situation for the patients and even more worrisome yet, as the YDA says it is in contact with peers in other provinces, with plans to expand the strike.

The whole matter should have been dealt with months ago when the YDA agreed on a deal with the Punjab government. The organisation now claims that the terms were not adhered to. The Pakistan Medical Association has backed the young doctors’ demands, but not their methods, stating that it could have been possible to handle the whole issue with more finesse.

A wider view and a broader vision are required to resolve the dispute. The YDA has made its mistakes and seriously sick patients have suffered as a result. But the matter cannot simply be treated as a disciplinary offence, as the Punjab government is doing. The brain drain of doctors in the country is a very serious issue and we need to figure out a way to retain their services. It is also true, as is the case around the world, that it is young doctors who basically keep hospitals performing optimally, handling the bulk of the work. Most in the medical profession agree that junior doctors are badly underpaid. The methods they used to negotiate this injustice may be questionable, but the Punjab government can hardly claim to have handled the matter any better. As a result, a crisis that should have been solved a long time ago lingers on and threatens to assume increasingly ominous dimensions as the bitterness grows.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 3rd, 2012.]]>
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			<title>To the rescue: Army Medical Corps doctors deployed at Punjab hospitals</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/402384/to-the-rescue-army-corps-doctors-deployed-at-punjab-hospitals</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/402384/to-the-rescue-army-corps-doctors-deployed-at-punjab-hospitals#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 02 Jul 12 07:44:05 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[rameez.ahmed]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=402384</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Doctor­s take charge at differ­ent hospit­als across Punjab.]]>
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				<![CDATA[At the behest of the Government of Punjab, doctors from the Army Medical Corps were deployed at different hospitals in Punjab on Monday, Express News reported. The doctors were welcomed by the relatives of the patients.

Doctors took charge at Mayo, Jinnah hospitals in Lahore, outdoor wards of Nishtar Hospital in Multan and Civil Hospital in Gujranwala.

Meanwhile, young female doctors in Rawalpindi resumed their duties. Outdoor wards in Rahim Yar Khan were also reopened.

A contingent of police was deployed in case of a possible protest.

According to a spokesperson of the Punjab government, senior doctors are fulfilling duties in place of young doctors.

The Punjab government had decided to appoint 1,000 medical officers.

The Government of Punjab requested the Army to deploy more doctors.

The Pakistan Army announced that free treatment will be offered to people at military hospitals and that doctors will work in two shifts to treat them.

Police doctors deputed

The Punjab government has also requested the Police department to depute their doctors to hospitals in Lahore to compensate for the doctors on strike.

Doctors from the police department have been deputed to six hospitals in Lahore.

YDA president arrested

Punjab police barged into the Services hospital where the Young Doctor’s general council meeting was taking place. President of YDA Hamid Butt, Chief of YDA Amir Bandesha and four doctors were arrested.

Action had been taken after the deadline given to the young doctors by the Punjab government ended and negotiations with senior doctors ended without any results.

Six SPs led heavy contingents of police to contain the perimeter of the Services hospital.

Many doctors were also arrested during the search operation at the young doctor’s hostels.

The four doctors of YDA were given four days physical remand for committing criminal negligence of removing drip of an infant to join a YDA protest resulting in the death of the child.

The police officials had produced the doctors before a magistrate’s court seeking eight-day physical remand on a plea to arrest the doctors and record their statements. However, the judge granted them four days physical remand directing the Investigation Officer (IO) of the case to produce the doctors before the court on July 6.]]>
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			<title>Punjab healthcare crisis: Govt swoops on doctors in Lahore</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/402303/punjab-healthcare-crisis-govt-swoops-on-doctors-in-lahore</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/402303/punjab-healthcare-crisis-govt-swoops-on-doctors-in-lahore#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 02 Jul 12 00:03:35 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[ali.usman]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Dozens arrested in late-night raids; official says medics could be blacklisted.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[A gruelling healthcare crisis in Punjab turned nasty on Sunday when police launched a crackdown on protesting young medics following the failure of a last-ditch effort by intermediaries to avert a standoff.


The late-night swoop came a day after Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif set a 24-hour deadline for the Young Doctors Association, Punjab chapter, to unconditionally call off their two-week long strike or else face the consequences.

A group of senior doctors met with YDA representatives on Sunday to win them over – but the young medics refused to budge on their demands.

Subsequently, the police launched a crackdown on the doctors’ hostel at Lahore’s Services Hospital and detained 40 medics. Key YDA leaders, however, managed to dodge the police and escape from the hostel.

The general council of YDA was in session at the time of raid, according to officials. The meeting was discussing a future course of action following the breakdown of talks on Sunday.

“We have instructions from our senior officials not to beat or misbehave with any young doctor. We are here to detain them,” a police officer told The Express Tribune. Police also searched the hostel during the raid.

Health crisis

In retaliation, young doctors at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) closed down the emergency ward. Several medics also withdrew their services from indoor departments of several state-run hospitals, including Mayo and Services hospitals.

“We are also in contact with  doctors in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan and the strike could be extended to other parts of the country if our demands are not met,” an YDA member told The Express Tribune.

To deal with the situation arising from the raid, the health department cancelled the leaves of all teaching and non-teaching cadres and directed the doctors to report on duty in their respective hospitals.

Failed talks

Earlier in the day, representatives from the Pakistan Medical Association and the Medical Teachers Association met with YDA officials.

“At a point they were ready to call it off and meet with the chief minister but then, all of a sudden, they got confused. They failed to take a decision and the deadline passed,” a senior professor, who attended the talks, told The Express Tribune.

“Apparently, the YDA is getting instructions from someone else. Half of their leadership was in Rawalpindi despite the fact that an important meeting was taking place in Lahore,” added another participant of the meeting.

A senior health department official blamed several professors and principals of medical colleges for the crisis. “A list of 50 troublemakers – who are professors and heads of institutes – has been compiled and they might be transferred to remote areas if their involvement with YDA is proved,” he added.

Govt’s response

Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Health Khawaja Salman Rafique told The Express Tribune that “Departmental action will be initiated against doctors from Monday (Today). As per law, they can be blacklisted, sacked and even sued,” he said. Rafique said 1,000 new doctors will be hired to run OPDs and senior doctors would also work to examine patients.

Another health department official said that the government would write to the British College of Physicians to ban the striking doctors. He said letters would also be sent to some Middle Eastern countries where Pakistani medics have a huge market, asking to a ban on doctors who create disturbance and cause problems for patients by closing OPDs.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 2nd, 2012.]]>
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