Protesting transfers: Patients suffer as BBH doctors go on strike
People were referred to the emergency ward
People were referred to the emergency ward. PHOTO: NNI
ISLAMABAD:
Hundreds of patients at the outpatient department (OPD) of the Benazir Bhutto Hospital were left in the lurch on Monday after doctors went on strike. The strike forced the hospital administration to take emergency counter-measures to tackle the situation.
Around 3, 000 patients visit the OPD of one of the largest public hospitals in Rawalpindi on a daily basis. It caters to the needs of patients from the Rawalpindi division, Islamabad and Azad Kashmir.
“I came from Kata in Syedan for the regular checkup of my wife, who is five-months pregnant. When we reached the OPD, there was no doctor and we were asked to visit the emergency ward,” said Kamran Chishti. There, he had wait since there was a long queue due to the large number of patients.
Under the umbrella of the Young Doctors Association (YDA), medics at BBH went on strike to protest against the transfer of Dr Tanveer, a senior registrar at the hospital, who was sent to Bahawalpur. The posting was meant to serve as a punishment for not carrying out special duties during protests by doctors on October 15.
The MS, however, reported Dr Tanveer to the health secretary for failing to abide by orders. “The secretary consequently transferred the doctor to Bahawalpur as punishment,” YDA representative Dr Haider Akhter complained.
The YDA representative said that they had meeting with BBH MS and RMC principal on Monday evening and deferred the strike for three days after assurances that the transfer would be reverted. The hospital’s MS Dr Asif Qadir was not available for comments.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 8th, 2016.
Hundreds of patients at the outpatient department (OPD) of the Benazir Bhutto Hospital were left in the lurch on Monday after doctors went on strike. The strike forced the hospital administration to take emergency counter-measures to tackle the situation.
Around 3, 000 patients visit the OPD of one of the largest public hospitals in Rawalpindi on a daily basis. It caters to the needs of patients from the Rawalpindi division, Islamabad and Azad Kashmir.
“I came from Kata in Syedan for the regular checkup of my wife, who is five-months pregnant. When we reached the OPD, there was no doctor and we were asked to visit the emergency ward,” said Kamran Chishti. There, he had wait since there was a long queue due to the large number of patients.
Under the umbrella of the Young Doctors Association (YDA), medics at BBH went on strike to protest against the transfer of Dr Tanveer, a senior registrar at the hospital, who was sent to Bahawalpur. The posting was meant to serve as a punishment for not carrying out special duties during protests by doctors on October 15.
The MS, however, reported Dr Tanveer to the health secretary for failing to abide by orders. “The secretary consequently transferred the doctor to Bahawalpur as punishment,” YDA representative Dr Haider Akhter complained.
The YDA representative said that they had meeting with BBH MS and RMC principal on Monday evening and deferred the strike for three days after assurances that the transfer would be reverted. The hospital’s MS Dr Asif Qadir was not available for comments.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 8th, 2016.