Young doctors go on strike, again

Non-issuance of new service structure blamed.

RAWALPINDI:

Patients visiting the three main government hospitals in Rawalpindi city were left stranded as the Young Doctors’ Association (YDA) went on another strike on Monday over the non-provision of new service structures.

The outpatient departments (OPD) at Holy Family Hospital (HFH), Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) and District Headquarter (DHQ) were not functioning for most of the day after YDA doctors stopped attending to patients in the OPDs on the call of their representatives.

The YDA has been trying to press the Punjab government to introduce a new service structure for young doctors which would allow step-wise promotions.

Early in the morning, senior doctors attended to patients but were stopped by YDA representatives at around 10am.

Talking to The Express Tribune, YDA-DHQ President Dr Abbas Malik said they attended to all emergency patients and those requiring treatment in operations theatres and inpatient departments.

Dr Malik said they would not attend to patients at OPDs unless the government attended to their demands or the YDA leadership announced an end to the strike.

YDA Punjab President Dr Muhammad Haroon said the strike call across the province came after the Punjab government failed to fulfil their promises on the new service structure.

Meanwhile, Rawalpindi Medical College (RMC) Principal Musaddaq Khan, who is also in charge of the allied hospitals, said discussions were underway with the YDA to end the strike, adding that “as long as they are on strike, senior doctors have been asked to attend to patients in OPDs and ensure they are not be left untreated”.

Published In The Express Tribune, June 19^th, 2012.