Doctors’ groups clash, many injured

A quarrel broke out between two groups of doctors at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre.

On one hand, Dr. Omar Sultan, chairman of the Young Doctors Association (YDA), which has been protesting for the last eight days, announced to end the protest and boycott of the OPDs after assurance from the Sindh Health Department for approval of their demands. Some doctors protested against JPMC executive director Dr. Shahid Rasool demanding that they be made permanent employees and chanted slogans in support of their demands.

The protesting doctors said that the doctors recruited on contract are protesting outside the Karachi Press Club. The doctors working during the coronavirus pandemic should also be made permanent.

Read More: Police, young doctors clash in Islamabad

Meanwhile, there was a heated exchange of words between the two groups of doctors and some of them scuffled which caused minor injuries to a few of them.

YDA chairman Dr. Omar Sultan said the protesting doctors were no longer part of the YDA. "We have ended our protest. These doctors had gathered at the hospital against the JPMC executive director and wanted to get their demands forcibly accepted and they are also protesting at the KPC," he said.

Later, the hospital management called the police and Rangers to bring the situation under control.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 15^th, 2021.