Young Doctors Association (YDA) Punjab will establish out patients departments (OPDs) on roadsides near their respective hospitals of the province while continuing their strike until their demands are met, The Express Tribune has learnt.
Nothing came out of the Thursday and Friday negotiations between the YDA and the health secretary, Fawad Hassan Fawad.
During the negotiations, YDA Punjab president Hamid Butt told Fawad that they had been forced to stop working in OPDs and medical wards because the Punjab government had not fulfilled a promise it made in 2008.
Fawad, meanwhile tried to persuade the doctors to resume their duties and assured them that the salaries of the medical staff would be raised as soon as the Punjab government had enough funds. But the young doctors could not be convinced.
One of YDA Punjab members, Rai Ahmad Khan, told The Tribune that the Health secretary told them that the Punjab government had diverted all funds to the flood hit areas and thus could not keep its promise.
“We highlighted many useless projects on which billions are being spent but the secretary dismissed our objections, insisting that the projects were important,” he said.
He added that YDA Punjab general council had decided that it will establish OPDs on roadsides next to teaching hospitals to facilitate patients. However, he warned that doctors would soon stop working in emergency wards and labs of teaching hospitals if their demands aren’t met soon.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 5th, 2011.
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