Avoidable misery: Patients bear the brunt of shut-down

Both doctors and patients found it hard to make their way through the blockades set up by PTI supporters.

LAHORE:

The attendance at city hospitals was thin on Monday as both doctors and patients found it hard to make their way through the blockades set up by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) supporters.

The Young Doctors’ Association (YDA) said a number of doctors could not report to duty. However, the Health Department said the attendance of medical staff in most hospitals was near normal.

Doctors at the Shaikh Zayed Hospital (SZH) said that patient visits had declined by 80 per cent on Monday.

“The hospital’s outdoor department had very few patients throughout the day,” YDA office-bearer Ahsan Lalika said.

“Such low attendance is seen only on Eid holidays,” she said.

SZH Chairman Dr Farrukh said the doctors had been on duty as usual.

He said the administration had asked them to report as early as 7am.

He said only those staff members who had been stopped briefly by the protesters at various traffic points had arrived late to work.

Doctors at Mayo Hospital said patient visits were 10 per cent of the average number they received on other days.

A similar situation was reported at Jinnah and Services Hospitals.

“The protesters at Niaz Beg did not let me go to Jinnah Hospital,” said Muhammad Afzal who had a fractured leg.

“My son tried to drive through but they stopped us. This is not fair,” Afzal, a resident of Awan Town, said.

Several private schools were closed. Students arrived at the Cathedral on Church Road at 7:45am but left after a few hours as the demonstrations spread through the city. Most of government schools were open but most of the students left early. University of the Punjab and Forman Christian College were closed.

A government official said 13 buses carrying government employees had arrived at the Civil Secretariat by 6.30am.

“Each bus has capacity to carry 80 people. There were only 15 to 20 people on each bus on Monday.” He said the buses were not used to drop the employees in the evening.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 16^th, 2014.