In another first, the young doctors, who are on strike to press for revised salary structure, are now stopping patients to even get near the Out Patient Departments (OPDs).
Members of Young Doctors Association (YDA) on Thursday, it was learnt, stopped patients from visiting the Out Patient Department (OPD) at District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ). Senior doctors had been called to check the patients in the absence of younger ones, since the latter are already on strike.
Some patients visiting the DHQ complained of hindrances created by young doctors as they tried to collect paid slips to get examined at the OPD. “When I reached a counter to pay the fee for check-up at OPD some young doctors stopped the man from issuing the chit, doctors in the OPD do not examine patients without the slip,” said Mujtaba Shah, an elderly patient.
Young doctors have abandoned the OPDs and they are not allowing even senior doctors from examining patients, he added. The YDA has called a strike to press the Punjab government to notify a new service structure for them.
OPDs at DHQ, Holy Family Hospital and Benazir Bhutto Hospital remained closed in the absence of doctors and patients.
YDA DHQ President Dr Abbas Malik, when contacted, denied that the doctors had stopped anyone fron issuing slips.
“We are fighting for a common cause for medical practitioners, both young and seniors,” said Dr Malik. He added no doctor was ready to attend OPD patients.
Rawalpindi Medical College (RMC) Principal Prof. Dr Musaddaq Khan, on the other hand, confirmed that some young doctors on Thursday forced the administration of DHQ not to issue slips to patients.
He said the young doctors had forcibly closed down OPDs. The principal added that all patients visiting OPDs were directed to go to emergency departments for medical check-ups.
Taking into consideration, the worsening condition of patients at OPDs, Dr Khan said he hoped for a better outcome after provincial health authorities warned the protesting doctors.
President YDA Punjab Dr Haroon Khan, in a statement, said representatives of young doctors from all over the province would converge at Holy Family Hospital on Saturday to decide the future course of action if the Punjab government did not agree to their demand for a service structure.
He contradicted the claims of the Punjab health department regarding the higher salaries paid to medical practitioners as advertised in newspapers on Thursday.
He said the doctors had not been getting revised salaries as advertised in the print media and urged the authorities to take concrete steps to resolve the YDA’s demands.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 29th, 2012.
COMMENTS (9)
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Not supporting YDA, but look who is talking about the healthcare issue. This Khadim-e-Aala was responsible for the deaths of hundreds due to wrong medicine given to heart patients. He was holding the Health Minister post at that time. People have not forgotten the Dangue virus mishandling either. Why it is always Punjab government mired in health department issues? I think there is some management issue that government is not handling properly. Is Shahbaz also leading this department as a sole proprietor?
@rania: yes please bring doctors from foriegn countries and you will surely know that the doctors are totally right in their demands...lets just talk about SAARC...even in the SAARC countries, Pakistan pays the lowet salaries to its doctors even in Afghanistan thay get more salaries than Pakistan...someone should definitely try and bring doctors from abroad so that people here may know why the doctors are striking....foreigner doctors will definitely refuse to treat people when they will see the conditions and the facilities provided in the hospitals here...i assure you that much...
No matter what the grievance, how can it be alright for doctors to turn away poor patients in government hospitals? Those patients have no other options.
These are very shamfull allegations for Dr. They should save the life of patients not to kill them.
Rania,seriously, you are suggesting to hire doctors from abroad? I am Pakistani doctor working on your so called "Mars" and I am getting 10 times more pay than the alleged "pay" Government of Punjab is advertising. BTW, they are not demanding high pays, they are asking for service structure. PS. I am not a consultant.
Rania...For god sake dont believe in the lies of Punjab Govt...Read the following thread and see the true picture and what actually drs are getting and what are their demands... http://www.siasat.pk/forum/showthread.php?120810-Is-Punjab-Government-posting-False-Ads-in-Newspapers
U have no idea how Punjab's beurocracy behaves with drs..ppl are stuck with BS 17 for 20 yrs even if they had completed their FCPS...If u dont know the reality then its better not to comment..First know the reality and then comment
Punjab Government and Supreme court of Pakistan should take notice and Pl. cancel all their licence for medical practice and call foreign doctors from neighbouring countries on these current pay scale, we are sure they will happily work here. For God sake here simple MBBS doctor of 17 scale is receiving double pay from any other 17 grade officer, simply I'm asking a question from respected government that any other government employees who are officer come from Mars.. they don't need money or luxuries for their kids..their parents had not spent money on their up bringing and education...?