Doctors’ demands

Chaos has reigned at public hospitals across Punjab since thousands of members of the Young Doctor’s Association (YDA) began action almost a month ago to press for their demands. The chaos has now worsened, with talks between the YDA and the Punjab government breaking down, prompting hundreds of doctors to resign or go on strike. 750 doctors in Faisalabad and some 1,500 in Rawalpindi are reported to have resigned, while those in Lahore are expected to follow soon. The impact in wards and emergency rooms has been catastrophic, with patients left without care.

The YDA, which has been locked in talks with Punjab authorities since early March, is seeking a pay package of Rs90,000 for doctors plus a regularisation of services. Some other more minor perks and privileges are also sought. While strike action by the YDA, which says it has 8,000 members, has been criticised, it should be noted that early on, the young doctors had made what seemed like a genuine effort to ensure patients suffered as little as possible — setting up treatment centres on pavements outside the hospitals they chose not to enter. But with the Punjab government showing little willingness to budge from its position, that sense of goodwill has run out.

Impoverished patients who seek care at government hospitals are obviously the worst victims. Through no fault of their own, they have been deprived even of the limited care these over-stretched facilities are able to offer them. There is no indication as to how the matter will be solved but this is not a situation that can be allowed to linger on for long; immediate action is required. People desperately need doctors who can tend to them. The Punjab government needs to move quickly and find a means to end the crisis before there is further mayhem and more incidents of deaths at public sector facilities across the province. A further delay is simply unacceptable.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 03^rd, 2011.