YDA blocks Canal Road as protest enters sixth day

YDA claimed senior doctors were not fulfilling their responsibilities

LAHORE: In order to expand their protest, on Wednesday doctors blocked Canal Road, adversely affecting the flow of traffic in the city as the strike of Young Doctor Association (YDA) entered the sixth day at Sheikh Zayed Hospital.

Sheikh Zayed is one of the government hospitals across Punjab where the entry fee for the emergency ward is Rs5,000. The patients have to purchase all medicines separately. The free medical facilities at Sheikh Zayed Hospital are no longer available for the patients.

Sheikh Zayed Hospital YDA President Dr Kasim and spokesperson Dr Hamid said the lives of the patients of this hospital were “in danger”. They also said despite being a public sector hospital, there was a lot of treatment fee expensive medicines while the senior doctors were not fulfilling their responsibilities.

They claimed that the protest was not about the abundance of patients and their treatment but the protest was about the non-provision of free medical facilities to the patients.

Responding to a question, YDA president said the senior doctors were examining the patients and it was a great thing that after the protest of the YDA, a few senior doctors were available in the morning shift. In general, senior doctors do not come before afternoon.

While presenting their demands, the YDA representatives said they demand the reappointment of the doctors who were suspended, the provision of hostels to the female PGs and the provision of free treatment to the patients. They also threatened to expand their protest if their demands were not met.