Strike option revived: YDA delegation to call on new health secretary today

YDA-Punjab would convene a meeting to decide whether or not to resume its strike if meeting not called.

LAHORE:

Young Doctors Association-Punjab said on Sunday that a delegation will meet newly-appointed Health Secretary Muhammad Jehanzeb Khan on Monday to discuss progress made by the committee formed to review their demand for a raise in salaries.

It said that if the meeting was cancelled, the YDA-Punjab executive council would convene a meeting to decide whether or not to resume its strike.

YDA Punjab’s Jinnah Hospital chapter president, Abu Bakr Gondal, said the delegation would also brief the new secretary about the conditions at the public health facilities in the province and the problems the doctors and the patients faced.

He said they would devise a course of action for future based on the outcome of Monday’s meeting. “As long as the committee is making progress, there is no need of a strike call,” he added. However, he said, there were reservations among the YDA members regarding the government’s commitment to meeting their demands.

Gondal said a meeting of the executive council would be called if Monday’s meeting was cancelled. “The executive council meeting would decide if and when a strike call was needed,” he said.

Organisation

YDA Punjab official Aftab Ashraf said they were working towards strengthening organisation and increasing its membership.

In this regard, he said, a chapter has recently been formed at Mandi Bahauddin district headquarters (DHQ) hospital. He said they had decided to extend membership to senior registrars as well.

YDA member at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Rifqa Awan, said 200 new house officers had recently joined the YDA.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 25^th, 2011.