Pakistan

Punjab govt hires 465 new doctors as protests continue

Punjab Health Department claims it has suspended 188 doctors, YDA plays down reports of fresh recruits.

Express April 05, 2011

The Punjab government on Tuesday suspended 188 doctors and recruited 465 new ones to normalise the situation at hospitals, especially at emergency wards, as protests continued.

Young doctors across Punjab have been protesting demanding an increase in their salaries for the past few weeks. Negotiations between the Punjab government and the YDA broke down on March 31 over the issue of senior registrars’ salaries. The YDA insisted that their salaries be increased to Rs50,000 per month (from the current Rs30,000 per month) but the Punjab government argued that it cannot do so.

The Young Doctors Association, however, has played down claims by the Punjab Health Department that fresh recruits have started working in government hospitals.

Doctors say all departments are dysfunctional with an exception of cardiology institutes as their strike calling for pay raise goes unheard even on 36th day.

The Medical Superintendent (MS) of Jinnah hospital has also been suspended for supporting the young doctor’s cause. The association's General Secretary Dr Salman Kazim has blamed the opposition parties for politicising the issue.

Doctors in Karachi, Hyderabad and Nawabshah also announced on Monday that they will go on strike from Tuesday after talks with health ministry officials broke down, while Balochistan physicians endorsed the demands of Punjab doctors and said they would also go on strike if their demands were not met.

COMMENTS (14)

Poor Punjabi | 13 years ago | Reply Please some body save the poor punjabi people from the madness of Health Secretary, he is responsible for all the deaths which have occurred so far..his arrogance and mishandling of the issue is sole cause of any damage done to the patients and he is constant threat to the lives of poor punjabi people.

dr samreen | 13 years ago | Reply YDA JPMC is with doctors of punjab,we too have over corrupt bureaucracy in shape of lady who is holding six charges in jpmc,she and her gangsters destryed learning atmosphere in jpmc,today's strike in jpmc is not only in solidarity with punjab yda but also against corrupt jpmc administration.

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mi | 13 years ago | Reply Didn't Docotors know the salary before joining this noble profession? When Doctors are in Medical school, they knew how much money they will be making by doing Govt jobs. But they were not counting on it, they knew the real money is in private practice. If they wanted to make more money then they should joined other profession or business (which they do by practicing privately). Why suddenly they need raise over 100%, because they know they can exploite Government by using poor and innocent people as their braganing chip. Teacher, professors and other quilified peopl make less money than less educated people in other professions, too bad they don't have humen as their bargaing chip. We all Pakistanis seems have lost the empathy, humanity and morality. Money is our GOD now!!!

ahlane | 13 years ago | Reply @yacub u r absolutly rt and i have confirmed this the pml-n activists are infact new doctors all the best patients

Nadeem | 13 years ago | Reply I agree with the demands of DOCS, salaries should be increased but PLEASE TELL ME WHY PEOPLE ARE DYING BECAUSE OF LACK OF DOCTORS...... Do your protests do everything but plz dont make poor citizens suffered from your cause... Private hospitals are running smoothly and you better know who come in goverment hospitals......... Pls be human.....

jamil | 13 years ago | Reply What is being done to solve issues of docs????IT is trying to hire untrained docs and make people foolish.How is it possible?How can the system run without PGS and HOS.New recruits are insted a threat.YDA should open emergencies atleast.PEOPLE of PUNJAB should stand by the sides of docs to help them,just they did in long march.Its a basic right of every one to get proper HEALTH CARE,but people should also understand that docs work continuously 4 36 hrs 4 times amonth and 10 hrs daily.They should atleast that much that they should be able to run their families.PEOPLE of PUNJAB should be doing this protest 4 docs they should be working in hospitals.Plz wakeup PAKISTANIS 4 ur own rights. JIS KHET SE DEHQAN KO MAYASR NA HO ROZI ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,US KHET KE HER KHOSAE GANDUM KO JALA DO ........................ WAKEUP PAKISTANIS 4 UR OWN RIGHTS PLZ

Fatima | 13 years ago | Reply Actually both the figures quoted here are wrong. A house officer earns 18,000 whereas a Post Graduate Trainee or Medical Officer earns 22,000. The mandate by the doctors demanded an increase up to 70,000 for Post Graduate Trainees which was reduced to 45,000 when a compromise was reached between the doctors and the government. The CM refused to meet the doctors and make the public announcement to confirm the agreement which his adviser had made with the doctors. And now the doctors are being called inflexible! The way the government is playing the public is shameless. There are reports that these 'new recruits' are not even registered with the PMDC which recognizes doctors to make their services legal. And there are also reports that these new recruits aren't even doctors! So much for public safety.

Doctors... shame on you...! | 13 years ago | Reply No problem... there are enough young doctors in KPK... They should be recruited to meet their demand.

khanali | 13 years ago | Reply People of PUNJab should stand besides doctors.Doctors should resume emergencies.NAWAZ SHARIF himself goes to ENGLAND 4 treatment.CM PUNJAB has no time 4 doctrs even to listen 2 their opinion.WHat THE HELL SHOULD DOCTRS DO TO RECORD THEIR PROTEST.More than 50 percent punjab ministers are not even FA pass.If they can be paid in lacs why the doctors cant be.I strongly appeal CM PUNJAB to cut short expenses of his cabinet, if he is sincere to PEople of PAKISTAN.I STRONGLY CONDEM WORDS OF RANA SANAULLAH.HE SHOULD SAY SORRY 2 DOCTRS COMMUNITY.

Fahd K | 13 years ago | Reply "The YDA insisted that their salaries be increased to Rs50,000 per month (from the current Rs30,000 per month)" That's too much of a raise to ask for? come on YDA be reasonable. I am sure you guys are having problems but leaving patients to die like this is just not acceptable. I hope you guys and the government resolve this issue quickly.

akram | 13 years ago | Reply I think doctrs r right and govt is just tryng to make people foolish.How can new doctrs be appointed.CM should terminate health secartary immidiately.Govt should cut short its expenses on ministers.Can these ministers work on salary given to dctrz?

bunny | 13 years ago | Reply Punjab Government is ruining its own image in punjab......now without rigging the cannot win...even people like khwaja asif and saad rafique would be having tough time..... Doctors, Laywers and amny more.....who is left.....If people still heartly vote PML or PPP then they deserves whats happening to them

Ajay | 13 years ago | Reply Interesting ! This is becoming more and more like the Wisconsin teachers strike. They ran the risk of al;ienating parents because they had a strong reson to protect their union.

yacub | 13 years ago | Reply These new hired doctors are not qualified they are pml-n activists in guise of docs the patients are in even more danger now

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