K-P Govt bars doctors from shutting OPDs on Monday

700 police personnel to be deployed in hospitals across the province

PESHAWAR: The provincial government has decided that they would not allow doctors to shut down the OPDs on Mondays in health facilities across the province. In this regard, the provincial government has used force against the protest in the Lady Reading Hospital and in front of the Khyber Pakhtunkhawa (K-P) assembly.

The decision was made after the grand health alliance (GHA) decided to hold a protest even bigger than the one on Saturday and all OPDs were ordered to remain closed. On the other hand, the security agencies in the province decided to handle the doctors’ protest with more force and those who tried to hamper the OPDs services or elective services would be dealt with iron hands.

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The provincial police to be deployed in the hospital and around 700 police personnel to be deployed in Lady Reading Hospital, Hayatabad Medical Complex and Khyber Teaching Hospital to curb the gathering at the premises of the hospital and directed that no one would be allowed to hamper the services in the hospitals.

The paramedics, doctors and other related staffers would be arrested if they tried to lock the OPDs, or tried to force the doctors or other staff out of their OPDs and strict action would be taken against the violators, the source said.

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The plan was devised after consultation with the three big health facilities, while more doctors, leaders and other seniors have been arrested since late last night’s operations. The source added, “We are looking for the doctors in the CCTV footages and predict that more doctors would be arrested.”

The source said that those been nominated will be arrested and operations against the protesters would be completed on Sunday.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 30^th, 2019.