K-P govt agrees to hold meeting with protesting doctors on May 21

Health department sends notification to K-P Doctors’ Council directing them to end strike

PESHAWAR: Agreeing to negotiate with the protesting doctors, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government has called for a meeting on Tuesday (May 21), Express News reported.

The provincial health department on Saturday issued an official notification to the K-P Doctors' Council directing them to immediately end the strike.

The government has also deputed an additional contingent of police in hospitals to formally reopen the OPDs.

On May 15, doctors associations across the province denounced K-P Health Minister Dr Hisham Inamullah’s highhandedness against a senior faculty member of Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH) on the night of May 14.



The K-P Doctors’ Council also sought resignation of the Lady Reading Hospital BOG Chairman Dr Nowsherwan Burki. Dr Burki was egged by KTH Assistant Professor Dr Ziauddin Afridi while he was attending the board of governors meeting.

KTH also formed a four-member committee to probe the incident.

The protesting doctors shut the Outpatient departments (OPDs) in various hospitals across the province causing difficulties for the patients.

During a press conference on Friday, K-P Information Minister Shaukat Yousufzai said that no one would be allowed to forcefully shut down the OPDs. “The government is ready to listen to the reservations of the doctors, but we will not let the patients suffer anymore,” said the minister.