OPD strike continues for 10th day

RAWALPINDI: A strike by young doctors against the new Medical Teaching Institutions (MTI) Act entered its 10 consecutive day in Rawalpindi on Monday, adding to the suffering of patients at the three government-run hospitals in the city.

As a result of the strike, the Outpatient Departments (OPDs) at District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital, Holy Family Hospital (HFH) and Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) remained inoperative.

However, doctors remained on duty in the dengue wards and emergency departments. Due to the closure of OPDs, patients thronged emergency departments of the hospitals and mostly had to turn to expensive private clinics.

Patients complained that why they were being punished in the rift between the government and doctors. They added that they were wandering around the hospital in illness while getting no respite.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 22^nd, 2019.