Pakistan

Doctors’ strike fever infects K-P

Demands include raise in pay, special packages, allowances and new hostels.

Islamuddin Sajid May 17, 2011

PESHAWAR:

Taking a cue from the success of the young doctors in Punjab, the Provincial Doctors Association (PDA) in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa observed a complete strike here on Monday to push for their demands.

Doctors observed strike in Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH) and Ayub Teaching Hospital (ATH) Abbottabad, while patients at both the hospitals faced great inconvenience.

Doctors remained away from the Out Patient Department (OPD) and other wards of both the hospitals except the emergency department, The Express Tribune learnt.

The two hospitals cater to the medical needs of over 2,500 patients a day.

The strike was announced after a deadline given by the PDA on May 10 for their demands ended.

“This is the first phase of the strike and if the government fails to fulfil our demands by May 18, the next day doctors will go on strike at Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) and Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC),” PDA general-secretary Dr Imran said.

The protesting doctors are demanding increase in salaries and a special package in the forthcoming provincial budget.

The government, the enraged doctors said, had agreed to raise salaries, frame service structure for the health professionals, build new hostels and raise non-practicing allowance for doctors.

“The government promised last year that it would increase our salaries, but now it has backed out from what they said”, Imran added.

Unfortunately, in such sitautions, it is the patients that suffers the most.

Hundreds of patients faced problems in the OPD and wards of the two hospitals.

“My brother was admitted to the orthopaedic ward of KTH on May 6 and his operation was scheduled today (Monday), but the doctors are on strike. What should we do now?” asked Riaz Khan, a resident of Mardan.

He added that he belonged to a poor family and could not take his brother to a private hospital.

“I don’t have any other way out but to wait for the government and when they meet the doctors’ demands,” Riaz lamented.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 17^th, 2011.

COMMENTS (6)

imtiaz | 12 years ago | Reply in my opinion this is not a good behaiver of doctor,this behvier only efect on the poor people,doctor income is saficant in evry leval,the open parivate clinic and also have a job,the thing only to the poor poeple

KHALID | 12 years ago | Reply 1st priority in life for someone sensible and after alot of hardwork is medical profession.and when someone not eligible to become that sits on the necks of doctors and deprive them of there rights..doctors community r our brothers.respect them, and let them serve the ailing humanity.

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Adil | 12 years ago | Reply Well if the government is not fulfilling its promises, the doctors would do this, there is no other way. They spend millions of state money on their own luxuries and cant spend in health sector..the sufferers are the people and the government would go again to these people for votes. Now its the time if the government can show IT CARES

Haseeb Khan | 12 years ago | Reply Though strikes in any profession have to be avoided, it must be realized that unavoidable circumstances push the members of any working community to go for strikes, especially if the workers believe that no one cares about their miseries and they have no other option. The doctors, who have the highest education and the hardest working hours, are being paid peanuts and our government, media and the ethics-advocates of our civil society don't hear them at all if they keep continuing their duties. It is a pity that in our society, no one hears you unless you create any trouble for them. And to think that all of the thousands of these young doctors are doing this for fun or greed, is unrealistic. In a country where matric-pass constables and high-court peons are getting better pays, the kind of agitation we are witnessing in these doctors is very explainable. All over the world, the governments acknowledge that doctors jobs demand highest education, physically and mentally tough situations and are highly sensitive, and therefore the doctors are the highest paid professionals in all the civilized countries of the world. It is easy to criticize someone and shove our pseudo-ethics in someone's face, but we should step in the doctors shoes to see what is forcing them to stop continuing the services they otherwise keep on doing even in extreme situations like bomb-blasts, floods and earthquakes.

Hissam Amir Khan | 12 years ago | Reply This is nonsense... I am unemployed for the past 2 years, and am a graduate of BBA-IT. I too have to feed and take care of the needs of my family, what should I do then, where should I protest??? Doctors should realise the fact that they are ATLEAST on a job rather than being unemployed.

usman | 12 years ago | Reply well i like doctors but i really dont know what the hell is going on in Pakistan, why they the dont understand they r doctor, the should concentrate on their profession, their profession is not like others professions,thiss profession is not allow any greed any corruption ,but these doctors r actually getting sick dont have moral valuse at all, they getting sick regarding the norms, so i think there is no remedy for them

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