Centralised induction: YDA holds protest against new policy

Block Benazir Bhutto Road for half an hour

RAWALPINDI: Doctors under the umbrella of Young Doctors Association (YDA) on Wednesday carried out a protest rally on Benazir Bhutto Road against what they called centralised induction policy of the Punjab government in postgraduate specialisation courses.

Doctors came out of Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) on to the main artery of the city at about 11am.

The protesting doctors blocked the road for about half an hour and chanted slogans against the policy.

Before the protest, YDA representatives held a seminar and sensitised doctors from the BBH, Holy Family Hospital, and district headquarters hospital about the problems doctors would face due to the new induction policy.

The doctors asked the Punjab government to withdraw the policy otherwise they would continue protesting.

In a press release issued later, YDA President Dr Haider Akhtar said a large number of doctors from three allied hospitals and students from the Rawalpindi Medical College took part in the protest rally. It stated that the doctors had completely rejected the new policy.

It may here be mentioned that the doctors were perturbed by the policy that had given all powers to Punjab health secretary regarding recommending doctors for postgraduate specialisation courses.

Earlier, medical superintendents of hospitals and professors used to select doctors for specialisation courses through examination.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 14^th, 2016.