Doctors’ strike: YDA takes back decision to withdraw emergency services

PM, cabinet secretary assure that their demands will be fulfilled in a few days.

ISLAMABAD:

The Young Doctors Association (YDA) at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) Friday took back its decision to withdraw emergency services.

The announcement was followed by an assurance by the prime minister and Cabinet Secretary Nargis Sethi that their demands will be fulfilled in a short period.

YDA and the cardiac surgery staff at Pims had announced on Wednesday to boycott emergency services if their demands were not met. They have been boycotting the Outpatient Departments (OPDs) and scheduled surgeries for the past 17 days now.

Dr Jehanzaib Aurakzai, Joint Executive Director at Pims, told YDA that the file containing a summary of their demands had been sent to the Federal Public Service Commission and the final notification would be issued “within a few days”.

However Dr Sajid Abbasi, Pims YDA President, said they will continue their strikes in the OPDs and not perform scheduled surgeries until the notification is issued. “We have been fighting for our rights for the past 17 days,” he said.

Tussle between paramedics, doctors

Meanwhile, according to hospital sources, a tussle took place between the doctors and paramedical staff at Pims, when a relative of one of paramedical staff was brought to the hospital for a scheduled surgery. The doctors refused to perform the surgery, saying they were on strike.

In response, the paramedical staff staged a protest, saying the new package was not benefiting them in any way.

“We will only accept it if it benefits us in the same way as to the doctors,” they said.

Cardiac surgery staff stages protest

The staff of cardiac surgery department at Pims also protested against the hospital administration for treating them as “step children”. They said since 2007, some of the doctors have not been given salaries and now they are not being regularised.

“Cardiac surgery department is one of the major departments of the hospital, frequented by patients from Azad Jummu and Kashmir and even Gilgit.

But the ignorant attitude of the Pims administration is discouraging us by not giving us our rights,” said one of the doctor at the department.



Published in The Express Tribune, August 6^th, 2011.