Senior doctors’ dismissal: Group of doctors to protest on Monday

The other YDA faction distances itself from the call.

LAHORE:

A group of doctors that had withdrawn a strike call for January 29 announced, on Saturday, to hold a protest on Monday against the removal of some Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) doctors in the IsoTab reaction case.

The Young Doctors Association (YDA) faction had called off the previous strike after a successful approach by the Punjab government. “We were assured no action will be taken against any doctor until the court decides on the matter. [Even though] the proceedings are underway, the PIC chief executive, the medical superintendent and other officials have been removed,” said the doctors. They said that even though the Supreme Court had urged them not to protest, they were going to go ahead with it, “We respect the Supreme Court but protesting is our constitutional right.” The group was sceptical about the government-led inquiries because of the number of the teams – nine.

Asked why the doctors felt it was necessary to take to the streets rather than getting their concerns registered in another way, Dr Nasir, the group’s spokesperson, said, “Most of the problems in Pakistan that get solved get solved on the streets”. He demanded that all doctors who have been suspended or removed from their posts should be reinstated. In case that does not happen, Dr Nasir said, doctors will protest in front of the PIC and Services Hospital on Monday. If even that does not get the government’s attention, the group will call for a city-wide protest on Wednesday. It is also considering going on a strike.

Dr Hamid Butt, who introduced himself as the ‘true YDA’ president, said that the Punjab government had not obeyed Supreme Court orders either. “We will accept any penalty imposed by the court, but not the government,” he maintained.

Dr Nasir then demanded that the Punjab Assembly pass a law making it mandatory that bureaucrats and politicians use medicines given by public hospitals. He said that it was the government failure that they had not established a lab, which had the capability to check inactive components of a medicine. He also called for the chief minister’s resignation.

The other faction of the YDA, however, distanced itself from the protest call and strike. An office bearer said that the Supreme Court had been very clear in its directive about the doctors not going on a strike. “We will not block roads in the city or observe a strike in violation of Supreme Court instructions,” he said.

An official of the Health Department called the protest call an attempt to “blackmail” the government, adding that there was no reason to protest since an inquiry was underway. He said that the doctors had been removed to ensure that the investigations are transparently fair.

Parliamentary Secretary for Health Dr Saeed Elahi said that the doctors should behave “sensibly”. “The government will talk to the doctors to resolve the issue,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 12^th, 2012.