Patients suffer as doctors boycott OPDs
Patients in Rawalpindi faced problems as doctors boycotted the outdoor-patient department (OPDs) of all three hospitals in Rawalpindi on Thursday in response to the suspension of four doctors and a nurse, including two consultants, for alleged negligence on duty in Sargodha.
On Thursday at the call of Young Doctors Association (YDA), the doctors at Benazir Bhutto General Hospital, Holy Family Hospital and the District Headquarters Hospital boycotted the OPDs at all three hospitals.
The OPDs remained empty as a result patients returned to their homes without treatment. The Punjab government has recently increased the OPD timings of all government hospitals from six to 12 hours. With its implementation, the patients had to face difficulties due to the boycott of doctors.
The boycott of OPDs in the morning continued till the completion of OPD hours.
Four doctors and a nurse, including two consultants at Sargardha Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, were suspended by Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz. However, the YDA leadership was later informed that four suspended doctors and a nurse of THQ Sargodha have been reinstated.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 17th, 2022.