PMA general body criticises Multan chapter for suspending elections

Prof Haraj observed doctors in K-P serve 56 hours a week while in Punjab doctors serve 78 hours a week

MULTAN: Majority members of the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) have criticised the body’s Multan chapter for holding on to the election process for the last ten years and unanimously developed consensus to hold a general body meeting.

Addressing a press conference, on Thursday, at the United Doctors’ Front, Prof Dr Masudur Rauf Haraj announced that all doctors’ groups have unanimously decided to hold the general body meeting on October 19 to form an election committee for fresh elections. “The Multan PMA constitution article 19-D allows holding general body meeting at any time for taking decisions with consensus,” he said.

The UDF chief said the doctors’ community was facing manifold problems in day-to-day performance of duties and the government avoided responding to doctors’ demands in the absence of a democratic process and recognised elected body of PMA.

Demanding Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa like service structure for doctors in Punjab, Prof Haraj observed that the doctors in K-P serve for 56 hours in a week in accordance with international guidelines and PMDC rules compared to Punjab where doctors serve for 78 hours a week.

Speaking on the occasion, UDF senior member Dr Imran Rafiq said the Multan PMA constitution allows taking decisions in tricky situations at general body meetings, which is the supreme body of the PMA. He said the UDF, and other groups, were going to constitute a committee organising the said meeting.

Another member, Dr Sheikh Abdul Khaliq said that the ruling “Pioneer Unity” group kept the poll process suspended for the last seven years as the last elections were held in 2010 and the next elections were due in 2012. The PU group constituted an election commission after doctors mounted pressure but the election commissioner betrayed his own schedule to avoid resuming the process.