Negotiations between doctors, administration remain inconclusive

ATH doctors to continue strike until their demands are met

ABBOTTABAD: Negotiations between protesting doctors and the Ayub Teaching Hospital’s (ATH) Board of Governors failed to break the deadlock with the doctors adamant on their demands for new housing blocks in the hospital, official sources said.

Meanwhile, a strike by the doctors at the hospital continued for a third consecutive day on Thursday.

According to Provincial Doctors Association (PDA) President Dr Amin Afridi, the doctors were upset with the administration’s lack of interest in building a hotel for doctors inside the hospital. He added that hundreds of doctors working at the hospital were forced to love in private hostels outside the facility as a result of which at least two doctors had died under mysterious circumstances in the past six months. On Thursday afternoon, ATH Board of Governor’s Chairman Javed Khan Pani met with representatives of the doctors and urged them to end their protest.

According to informed sources, both sides deliberated the pros and cons of these demands but failed to find common ground because protesting doctors were adamant that they would not end their strike unless their demands were immediately accepted.

Pani said he had assured the doctors that their key demand of shifting the doctors inside the building would be met next week and that proposals for compensating the family of House Officer Faisal would also be approved soon.

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