Strike delays 160 surgeries at hospital in Abbottabad

Emergency services remained functional, BoG unhappy

ABBOTTABAD: At least 160 surgeries were postponed and patients were referred to other facilities on Friday due to the ongoing strike of doctors at Ayub Teaching Hospital (ATH). Moreover, people visiting out-patient department (OPD) were also refused examination. However while emergency services remained functional despite the protest, most patients—who could not afford paying private clinic and hospital fees—suffered a great deal.

State of affairs

According to insiders, during the past two days, over 160 elective surgeries from urology, eye, ENT, gynaecology, orthopedic and general surgery departments were postponed and cancelled.



“It is true that we conduct about 50 to 80 elective surgeries daily which have now been put on hold due to the strike,” a senior consultant told The Express Tribune. He requested anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media.

He said elective surgeries — where patients are given time between one to three months — were delayed. “However, surgeries falling in the category of emergency, around five to 10 each day, were taken care of at the facility,” he added.

When contacted, Provincial Doctors Association (PDA) President Dr Aminullah Afridi confirmed OPD and indoor services remained suspended for the second day of the strike.

He said OPD slips were not issued to patients by the hospital administration and even the office dealing with OPD slips was locked.

Aminullah said doctors at ATH conduct 50 to 80 elective surgeries daily which were delayed during the last two days, but emergency operations were conducted.

Not exacerbating misery?

However, ATH Director Dr Salim Afzal Khan told The Express Tribune only indoor department patients, along with around 12 elective surgery patients, suffered. He said all emergency surgeries were performed so patients were not exposed to difficulties.

Salim accused protesting medical officers of forcing House Officers to keep OPD shut. However, he added majority of house officers refused to join protesters and helped the administration offering health care services to patients in emergency department.

Commenting on the situation, ATH Board of Governors Chairperson Javed Khan Pani said the circumstances were unfortunate and unjust.

“Patients were being denied treatment and surgeries were delayed,” he said.

Pani added even while protesting, doctors should be wary of their responsibilities as citizens. “Although people opting for strikes for minor issues have now become a countrywide phenomenon, I will try to resolve the issues raised by doctors so health care facilities were not suspended.



Pani also said some concerns of protesting doctors were related to the provincial government and would be forwarded to the health department. “The issues relating to BOG will be taken up at the meeting today and resolved in accordance with the law.” He said the BOG will also discuss the matter of delayed surgeries.

The backdrop

Aminullah had announced the strike for an indefinite period on August 30. He urged the government to accept doctors’ demands regarding dissatisfactory salary payments and mismanagement by the ATH administration.

Following PDA’s strike call, all junior and senior doctors of ATH suspended the services of indoor, outdoor, pathology and radiology departments throughout the day.

The decision exposed patients visiting the only tertiary care hospital in Hazara to multiple problems. The patients included people visiting from Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 3^rd, 2016.