Protesting doctors: Government told to implement Supreme Court’s strike ruling

YDA says will call off strike if lawyers and judges vow never to boycott work.


Our Correspondent February 16, 2012

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)

M. Amir Bhatti | 12 years ago | Reply Very unprofessional attitude by the doctors, how can some body blackmail at the expense of some bodies life. To protest is every bodies right but they could have found a better way of doing that. No body care's about a common man, every one has a union except a common man, where should he go.......
Ali | 12 years ago | Reply

@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?

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