YDA strike continues as health dept sacks 38 doctors

Health department says patients are suffering due to malpractices of YDA

PHOTO: EXPRESS

LAHORE:
The Punjab health department has issued termination letters to 38 doctors including 31 house officers (HO) and seven postgraduate residents as they were found absent during duty hours over the last three days in different hospitals in the province.

Spokesman for the health department Ikhlaq Ahmed told The Express Tribune that the decision was taken by the disciplinary committee constituted by Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique himself.

“Due to their malpractices, hundreds of patients have suffered, and the department is taking strict action against them,” he said.

“Although we have resumed functions in all hospitals, some elements are still trying to disturb the operational procedures, OPDs and emergencies in Services and Jinnah hospitals which will be dealt with iron hands,” he remarked.

On the other hand, a partial strike in different hospitals across Lahore continued specifically at Jinnah and Services hospitals and the Punjab Institute of Cardiology and patients had to return disappointed.

In the morning, a group of doctors forcibly tried to close the OPDs and its other functions and locked the doors of some offices and told the patients to come on some

other day as doctors were not available.

However, after interference of senior professors, the OPDs in these hospitals partially resumed functioning, while other operation procedures were also restored. However, there were reports of partial strike at some hospitals in other districts of Punjab.

Giving his reaction over the termination letters, a main leader of the YDA, on the condition of anonymity, said the association was still unclear on the next step. He said the YDA leaders put a precondition of removal of health secretary for resumption of services in different hospitals. He claimed that the government’s move was aimed at stopping young doctors from starting ‘one bed, one patient’ campaign.

He said neither they would withdraw from their demands nor they would resume duties. “It should be clear that YDA will take all steps necessary for the betterment of health sector,” he said.

The Punjab Health Department had formed a committee to investigate the deaths of patients at hospitals due to strike of YDA and take disciplinary action.

On the other hand, the YDA representatives said the allegations that people were dying due to the doctors’ strike were baseless and raised questions over the healthcare department’s commitment to helping poor people.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 5th, 2017.
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