Doctors dissent: From hospitals to the court
After the failure of their on-field efforts, the Young Doctors Association (YDA) Rawalpindi has decided to move court.
ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI:
After the failure of their on-field efforts, the Young Doctors Association (YDA) Rawalpindi has decided to move court. Representatives of the association on Monday said they will file a petition against the Punjab Government’s move of sacking protesting doctors and making fresh appointments without merit.
Talking to The Express Tribune, YDA spokesman Dr Waleed Abbasi, said currently the Punjab government is hiring doctors who are not replacing those who resigned from their posts. “These are against the vacancies which were vacant for a long time due to shortage of funds,” he said.
Dr Abbasi said there were a few “hidden” vacancies which, the provincial government had claimed, were vacant.
“Since long we were asking the government to fill these posts in order to overcome the shortage of doctors but they did not respond. Taking advantage of these posts, Punjab government is threatening us that it is bringing them in to replace the doctors who had resigned,” he added.
The YDA spokesperson was of the view that the hiring were not being made on merit. “Jobs are being given away on a first come first serve basis,” said Abbasi. He further said teaching professors who lack practical experience are serving in the emergency ward.
So far 1500 resignations have been submitted by the YDA Rawalpindi. Besides, 64 new doctors have been hired by the Punjab Government out of which 12-15 have submitted their resignations and refused to come on duty.
He said that none of the YDA members had submitted apology letters.
Meanwhile Dr Afzal Farooqui, Principal, Rawalpindi Medical College claimed that all the services were being provided in the outpatient departments (OPDs) and emergency wards of the Allied Hospitals (AHs).
Around 30 new doctors have resumed their duties. Young doctors who are on strike have also been requested to come back and no action will be taken against them.
“If they do not obey the orders a strict action will be taken against them according to the law,” said Dr Farooqui.
He further said the hospital administration had asked senior professors to submit their clarification regarding holding a press conference in Holy Family Hospital (HFH) on Saturday.
Raja Ashfaq Sarwar, Special Adviser to the Chief Minister Punjab during his visit to HFH said CM has recently announced an increase of Rs20,000 in the salary of post graduates trainee doctors (PGTs). Earlier there was an increase of 50-60 per cent in doctors’ salaries for which the Punjab Government had to bear a burden of Rs55 billion.
He said a total of 4,500 PGTs are working in Punjab and with an increment of Rs20,000 in their salaries the Punjab Government will have to bear an extra expense of Rs30 billion.
He urged young doctors to resume their duties otherwise new appointments will be made and then it would be difficult for them to comeback.
Meanwhile YDA Islamabad on Monday protested and blocked the roads. Showing support for their colleagues from Punjab, they urged the government to stop taking actions against YDA Punjab.
“We are giving a 48-hours ultimatum to Punjab Government to take all their actions back and if they fail to do so, then we will stage a sit-in protest in front of the Parliament House and go on a hunger strike,” they said.
YDA Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences on Monday blocked the road in front of the hospital and burnt tires and effigies of Secretary Health Nargis Sehti and CM Punjab.
They blocked the road for long hours which disturbed the flow of traffic. Moreover, YDA Polyclinic blocked the Fazl-e-Haq Road for an hour in a protest to show solidarity with YDA Punjab.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 5th, 2011.
After the failure of their on-field efforts, the Young Doctors Association (YDA) Rawalpindi has decided to move court. Representatives of the association on Monday said they will file a petition against the Punjab Government’s move of sacking protesting doctors and making fresh appointments without merit.
Talking to The Express Tribune, YDA spokesman Dr Waleed Abbasi, said currently the Punjab government is hiring doctors who are not replacing those who resigned from their posts. “These are against the vacancies which were vacant for a long time due to shortage of funds,” he said.
Dr Abbasi said there were a few “hidden” vacancies which, the provincial government had claimed, were vacant.
“Since long we were asking the government to fill these posts in order to overcome the shortage of doctors but they did not respond. Taking advantage of these posts, Punjab government is threatening us that it is bringing them in to replace the doctors who had resigned,” he added.
The YDA spokesperson was of the view that the hiring were not being made on merit. “Jobs are being given away on a first come first serve basis,” said Abbasi. He further said teaching professors who lack practical experience are serving in the emergency ward.
So far 1500 resignations have been submitted by the YDA Rawalpindi. Besides, 64 new doctors have been hired by the Punjab Government out of which 12-15 have submitted their resignations and refused to come on duty.
He said that none of the YDA members had submitted apology letters.
Meanwhile Dr Afzal Farooqui, Principal, Rawalpindi Medical College claimed that all the services were being provided in the outpatient departments (OPDs) and emergency wards of the Allied Hospitals (AHs).
Around 30 new doctors have resumed their duties. Young doctors who are on strike have also been requested to come back and no action will be taken against them.
“If they do not obey the orders a strict action will be taken against them according to the law,” said Dr Farooqui.
He further said the hospital administration had asked senior professors to submit their clarification regarding holding a press conference in Holy Family Hospital (HFH) on Saturday.
Raja Ashfaq Sarwar, Special Adviser to the Chief Minister Punjab during his visit to HFH said CM has recently announced an increase of Rs20,000 in the salary of post graduates trainee doctors (PGTs). Earlier there was an increase of 50-60 per cent in doctors’ salaries for which the Punjab Government had to bear a burden of Rs55 billion.
He said a total of 4,500 PGTs are working in Punjab and with an increment of Rs20,000 in their salaries the Punjab Government will have to bear an extra expense of Rs30 billion.
He urged young doctors to resume their duties otherwise new appointments will be made and then it would be difficult for them to comeback.
Meanwhile YDA Islamabad on Monday protested and blocked the roads. Showing support for their colleagues from Punjab, they urged the government to stop taking actions against YDA Punjab.
“We are giving a 48-hours ultimatum to Punjab Government to take all their actions back and if they fail to do so, then we will stage a sit-in protest in front of the Parliament House and go on a hunger strike,” they said.
YDA Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences on Monday blocked the road in front of the hospital and burnt tires and effigies of Secretary Health Nargis Sehti and CM Punjab.
They blocked the road for long hours which disturbed the flow of traffic. Moreover, YDA Polyclinic blocked the Fazl-e-Haq Road for an hour in a protest to show solidarity with YDA Punjab.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 5th, 2011.