LAHORE: Before starting his/her medical practice, all medical professionals take the Hippocratic Oath, pledging to observe the medical code of ethics. Under this oath, the health of the patient is the first consideration and top priority of the medics, which they pledge to protect in all circumstances and conditions. Regrettably, calling of strikes and closing down of OPDs and emergency wards have become the favourite tools of young doctors in Punjab. The Young Doctors’ Association (YDA) is not only disregarding the Hippocratic Oath taken by its members, it is also violating the law of the land. The Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability Act strictly prohibits such behaviour by government employees. Under section 5(3) of the Punjab Essential Services (maintenance) Act, 1958, whoever discontinues or causes the discontinuance of an essential service is guilty of an offence and liable to punishment. The Punjab government has formally declared health services as essential for this purpose.
The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) is the lawful representative body of medical professionals in the country. Only this body has the right to act as the collective bargaining agent on behalf of all medics. Helping and guiding new entrants into the medical profession is one of the basic objectives of the PMA. Regrettably, not only has it neglected to represent the young doctors effectively, it has also failed to mediate and resolve the YDA-government stand-off. The PMA has given the impression that it is using the YDA to pressurise the government to fulfil its own demands. Likewise, the PMDC, the regulatory body for medical professionals, has also failed to ensure the compliance of the medical code of ethics by young doctors.
In Punjab, medical professionals are paid allowances that are almost equal to their basic salaries. No other government employee in any other department is paid any such ad hoc allowance. Besides serving in public hospitals, they also have the unique opportunity to earn from ‘tax-free’ private practices. Now, the YDA has started using the slogan of provision of free healthcare, diagnostic facilities and medicine for the common people in public hospitals in a bid to legitimise their practices and get popular support. Ironically, the common people that the YDA professes to care about are the major affectees of the doctors’ agitation. There have been reports of deaths in these hospitals because of lack of medical care. So, in the name of fighting for some ‘great cause’, there are only unjustified demands being made by unauthorised individuals.
Mohsin Raza Malik
Published in The Express Tribune, February 19th, 2013.
