Tug of war: PMDC warns YDA against resorting to strike

PMDC threatens to take stern action against its office bearers if they did not desist.

ISLAMABAD:

Differences between office bearers of the Young Doctors’ Association (YDA) and the country’s top medical body have once again hit new heights.

The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) on Saturday warned YDA to avoid resorting to a strike call in the future, threatening to take stern action against its office bearers if they did not desist.

The PMDC claimed that the office bearers of the YDA were propagating their personal agenda. It also warned president of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Pakistan (CPSP) not to ‘mislead’ the YDA members to go for strike against the PMDC.

“We appeal to the Punjab chief minister not to be blackmailed by the YDA and the CPSP as both are politically-motivated and their office bearers have personal agendas,” the PMDC press release claimed.



Meanwhile, Punjab YDA Vice President Dr Umer Saeed while talking to The Express Tribune said that the YDA Punjab has not given a strike call, but he said they would continue their protest against ‘malpractices’ and ‘corruption’ in the PMDC.

“We refuse to obey directions coming from the current PMDC executive body, which itself is illegal,” he claimed.

“The so-called PMDC executive body has no right to issue directives to the young doctors, because they all have been elected illegally,” he said.

He said that the PMDC executive body held two meetings in the past despite a stay order issued by the Lahore High Court. “The sole purpose of holding these meetings was to approve fake registration of medical colleges which have paid huge amount of money to its member,” he claimed. Dr Saeed said that the YDA would never let such illegal practices continue in the PMDC.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 5^th, 2014.