Capacity issues: Dearth of doctors, medical facilities draws ire of YDA

RAWALPINDI: Doctors on Monday demonstrated outside the District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) against the small number of seats for freshly graduating doctors, and basic health facilities.

Members of the Young Doctors Association (YDA) blocked traffic outside the hospital, creating headaches for anyone attempting to get to Raja Bazaar.

They had gathered at Fawara Chowk to chant slogans against the local government as well as the health department for “low” quotas for postgraduate doctors.

The doctors criticised the Rawalpindi Medical College (RMC) administration’s inaction in sending the demand for the appointment of 25 postgraduate doctors in DHQ.

The association threatened to boycott OPD services in all public hospitals across the province if their demands were not met.

They claimed that a shortage of doctors, as well as extra strain on serving ones, would be caused if the appointments were not made.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 31^st, 2017.