LAHORE:
The Lahore High Court has ordered the Punjab government to implement the Supreme Court’s ruling outlawing strikes by doctors, while the Young Doctors Association has vowed to continue their strike over the suspension of some doctors of the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC).
For the second day running, doctors went on strike at public hospitals in Lahore on Thursday, forcing the closure of outdoor patient departments. At the PIC, the indoor wards were closed too.
At the LHC, Justice Umar Ata Bandial remarked during the hearing of a contempt petition against the doctors that violators of the Supreme Court’s orders would soon learn the consequences of their actions.
He also issued notice to the Punjab Medical and Dental Association and College of Physicians and Surgeons of Pakistan for February 22, the next hearing of the contempt petition.
Advocate Muhammad Azhar Siddique had petitioned the LHC to act against the doctors, submitting that they were violating orders issued by the Supreme Court during a suo motu hearing into the deaths of dozens of patients due to tainted drugs at the PIC. The SC had ruled that no doctor could go on strike as this was tantamount to denying someone their right to life.
Members of the YDA including its Punjab president, Dr Hamid Butt, told a press conference that no power could deprive them of the right to protest. They asked why the court did not take notice when lawyers or judges went on strike, since that also inconvenienced the general public.
They said if lawyers and judges vowed never to go on strike, they would do the same.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 17th, 2012.
COMMENTS (4)
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@Muhammad Usman: "Court order should be implemented in letter and spirit" On the incident of GOJRA (Bloodshed of Christians) court ordered the Punjab government Mr. Ahamad Raza Tahir DPO Gojra is responsible of it and do not give him any posting again.
He is now DPO Lahore. What you say on it?
WHAT A ghunda gardi and badmashi
no power can stop us from strike. court orders should be implemented in letter and spirit.
Now this is the cream of our society, the most well educated class. Point to ponder: how much our society is struggling. Intellectually you can see how much they are matured when they put banners on Govt hospitals ‘Journalists and Dogs are not allowed’. Do they own our hospitals? By doing these actions dont worry one day you will also be classed in same category as today Police is. Nobody will give you respect. O’ wait you are already in that class. Moreover professionally they are poorly skilled providing poor care and quarrelling all the time with patient’s attendants. Any member of YDA would like to enlighten us about their actions.