Rawalpindi Doctors’ strike leaves patients in lurch

YDA goes on protest against harassment of a doctor in Rahim Yar Khan

RAWALPINDI: The out-patient departments of all three government hospitals in Rawalpindi remained closed on Saturday owing to a strike by doctors and paramedics against reported harassment of a lady doctor at Sheikh Zeyd Hospital in Rahim Yar Khan.

The Young Doctors Association (YDA) gave the strike call which left patients in distress in Benazir Bhutto General Hospital, Holy Family Hospital and DHQ Hospital’s OPDs. Although the trauma centres remained functional, on Saturday, YDA has warned to enlarge the scope of the boycott from the OPD department to other departments of the hospital if the doctors were not given proper security.



YDA Punjab Chairman Dr Haider Akhter said that security for doctors was almost non-existent in government hospitals. “Incidents of harassment of female doctors and attacks on male doctors have occurred repeatedly in state-run health facilities but the government has taken no action,” Akhter said.

He added that even the private security guards have failed to perform their duties. “A law should be legislated for providing security to doctors and complaints by patients against doctors or the staff. This is a basic demand of YDA,” Akhter said.

He said they have held talks with the provincial health minister Dr Yasmin Rashid in this regard and she has assured of passing such a bill in the Punjab Assembly.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, September 23^rd, 2018.