He added that the strike will not be accepted at any cost, and added that the few doctors who are still striking will also take back their strike soon.
Meanwhile, the Punjab government accepted the unconditional apology of 24 out of 25 doctors detained under 16 MPO at Kot Lakhpat Jail, Lahore.
The doctors have been taken to Chief Minister Secretariat where they will have a meeting with Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, Senator Pervaiz Rashid and Special Assistant to Chief Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique.
An official at Central Jail told The Express Tribune, that those who have been shifted to CM Secretariat signed affidavits stating that they tender unconditional apology and wouldn’t go on strike again.
YDA office bearers, on the other hand, said these doctors weren’t YDA members but were students of medical colleges who were arrested by police without verification.
Senior doctors withdraw services from PIC in Lahore
Earlier, senior doctors at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) announced the closure of all departments at the hospital other than the Emergency ward, and demanded that arrested young doctors be released immediately.
Speaking during a press conference on Tuesday, Medical Teachers Association (MTA) President at PIC, Dr Ijaz Ahsan said that senior doctors were withdrawing their services from all departments, including the Outpatient Department (OPDs) and Indoor Departments.
“Young doctors are the backbone of our system. All arrested young doctors, particularly young doctors of PIC should be released immediately,” said Ahsan.
He said doctors currently deputed at PIC were untrained and could not handle heart patients. “It takes a doctor 10 years to do FCPS and then another five-year’s training to become a cardiologist. How could you expect new doctors to come and replace those who have already completed their training?”
Ahsan said only two doctors were present in the Emergency ward at PIC last night, adding that they had been “abused and threatened” by the attendants as they had been unable to handle the situation.
“Senior doctors are in their 50s and cannot do rigorous work for 24 hours. That is why we are demanding that our doctors should be released immediately,” Ahsan maintained.
He said the government was beguiling patients and the media by showing that they had deployed doctors at all hospitals.
Young Doctors Association (YDA) office bearer of PIC Dr Sami Ijaz said that there had been no problems at the Emergency during the young doctor’s strike as most OPD patients had been treated there. He said by conducting raids and arresting doctors the government had forced them to boycott and withdraw their services from the Emergency and Indoor as well.
Representatives of the Paramedical Alliance of PIC and Young Nurses Association (YNA) also supported the MTA and announced that they will stop working at PIC.
PIC Lahore is a specialised hospital where heart patients come from across the country for treatment.
COMMENTS (75)
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I dont get it, why are the general people confusing salary raise with service structure??? there is a huge difference! Kindly get your facts clear! and before calling the docs in pakistan butchers, thank them for staying in Pakistan in such conditions, every month docs leave Pakistan for middle east as there are better opportunities there, and we are deprived of the most competent ones. Why is govt reluctant to show them a clear path, why is it reluctant to improve conditions of hospitals, is it reluctant to to recruit more docs?? i seriously doubt that has anything to do with plight of the poor...
When did the judiciary become immune to all sorts of criticism? Contempt of court? Seems like everything thing is contempt of court these days. The judiciary has become a decadent and toothless body exercising authority on the weak while nudging and winking at the elite. Although the concept is essential and noble but implementation and actual power of getting things done is lacking. Why did the court not take action when Punjab govt failed to fulfill their promises to the YDA? Who authorized the arrests of young doctors which set alight a fire in the chest of every young doctor in the country leading them to close opds in KPK and Balochistan? Do these lawyers and judges know anything about the plight of a young Doc? Can they take care of patients by themselves? Their job is much easier than the job of a doc and i must say much less important as well and if that qualifies as contempt of court them i am guilty. They forget that when they will one day get sick or be on their deathbed they will also remember those docs that they once condemned.
This is utter bad governance and state terrorism! Any sane mind, any unbiased observer would deem the demands of young doctor’s right. What they are demanding is a protected job and future and is this wrong? As for strike, it should not have happened but I think they have been pushed to wall after several deceptions by the nincompoop people at helm of affairs in Punjab government. Even in UK, just 2 weeks ago more than 100 thousand doctors threatened strike and UK government has to accept their rightful demands. Those who are criticizing the young doctors have not understood their plight and those quoting Hippocrates’s oath not know a word about it.Very sad that the top cream of nation, the young professionals are being treated as captives of war! Another shameful chapter for the shameless added to history!
An inside report from secretariat tells that Rs. 1.6 million per day was given to each newspaper and 450 million to each channel for ads against doctors, which makes sense of all the propaganda being done by media against doctors. But no propaganda can break our unity. the revolutions are not bought with money, they are won with unity! and no one has better unity than the medical community... UNITED WE STAND...LONG LIVE DOCTORS UNITY....!
Its typical of Punjab Government to resolve administrative matters through arrogance and arm twisting instead of logic and magnanimity towards the demands of disenchanted segments of society.
You should not talk to anyone, Of course the Angels will come from the Sky and Solve every problem for you.
Rana sahib thanks for defending public intrest and health. We sport you and shahbaz sharif.
@Moise: It means you agree that doctors do strike and leave patients to die?
to let know everyone its not the money doctors are asking its service structure . 2nd people saying there is no money for any thing are totally wrong. i want to ask where do these politicians get their money for so much luxuries and how much a single minister costs us. doctors are 1st group to rise for their rights against govt. and rest should do the same. people are ok with politicians for robbing them but if someone risies voice for their rights they start blaming them. God, our nation is so dumb. so sad.
All our governments, federal or provincial both, conduct the government affairs without creating and implementing service rules on permanent basis. There are lots of public utility services which should not have any right to strike. The workers and staff of these services, such as Gas, eclectricity, water spply, teachers, doctors, sanitary workers etc. etc. should not have the right to strike. However, the workers of these public utility services should be given an extra , say, 20 percent special allowance. The young doctors in punjab have brought their noble profession in disrepute.strictest action should be taken against them including the cancellation of their registration with the medical council and in some cases cancellation of their degrees and demotion of the ring leaders.PML (Q) leaders including chaudhry parvez ilahi and others should not play politics in this situation.
@THE: I was talking about Rana Sahab missing Musherref.
@Rizz Butt I am not missing Musharref- Yaaay!
Its all about getting best salary package and nothing more. The oath might be
Hippocratic but lets face it: their profession demands a passion to save life first,
rather than complaining a little less attractive salary package.
I don't think they are underpaid. They get many grants along with their salary which
roughly starts from 50,000 or more. They are asking for higher grade scale than their
occupation level. So I kind of agree with the government that raising the grade of
doctors will eventually make another heap of problems as many other professions also
fall in same category such as MBAs and engineers.
Watch this video from 27:50. http://goo.gl/pyAdy
Overall, one fact is clear that patients are getting badly affected by this tussle
between young doctors & Punjab Govt.
Good decision! ---- Do not negotiate with these blackmailers. Push them oit in the street and let them taste their worth. Let them find out who made them so called "cream" and who has the power to turn this cream saur, let them taste it now. Teach these selfish people, the 'DARKSTERS' a good lesson and learn, the hardway, the consequences of pushing the people to wall. Let them see that we can survive without their help like we did before hey ever became doctors yesterday.
It started with black coats when their clients suffered for months but no court ever stood for poor people. Doctors are following the traditions set by black coats and judges. Next, we will see soldiers striking for pay raise during war and fire fighters when buildings are burning. Punjab government should deal with these criminlas with iron hand and convey message to everyone that such behaviour will never be tolerated.
The strike should have been handled in the first phase by having dialogues with the YDA and PMA. We don't even have a health minister in our province for the last 4 years. Their is no direct statement from CM on this issue till now. It seems like advisers and bureaucrats around CM are handling this issue and they will obviously don't want to spend money out of budget on healthcare service structure because that money is going in their pockets at the moment...........................
SPREAD THE WORD…..for public awareness! We doctors don’t have a media,neither we have millions of money to buy air time on media.The only medium we have is our contact list. . . So here r the facts; our strike was peacefull & all the patients were being entertained in emrgencies until last night when this ‘democratic govt’ captured dr’s and brutally tortured them. Dr naeem critically sick and is on ventilator. Dr bandesha …severly cooped and is in emergency. around 350 dr’s are in harrasment in jail. Lady dr’s were forced to leave the hostels at 2:00 AM at night. . . who will give the services under these conditions??? BUT OUR CORRUPT MEDIA IS NOT SHOWING THIS.u people r our hope. plz spread this message,so that the public knows the real story….
Dear all, It is to inform you that no unconditioned release is done from jail yet and our leaders are not cowards who will sign on conditions applied by Government. False news!
None of the Young Doctors has signed any agreement with Government. That night when crack down occured, 24 medical students were also arrested during the raid. Police tortured & made them right down agreement. It has absolutely no worth as they are kids, innocent & our younger brothers. “Pressurize kr k likhwai hui statement ki koi legal aor moral value nahi” None of YDAP member has apologized from Govt. Media as usual portraying false picture. Our “complete” strike is continued. Dr. Usman Khalid Gen Secretary YDA Punjab.
@Naveed Javed
Most of us are missing Musharraf.
@Naveed Javed: Yea right! Maybe you don't remmember LAL MASJID!!!
These are the people that voted for PMLN, now they are paying the price.
The Punjab Govt needs to step out of their mountain high good for nothing ego and look at the havoc they have created. What is with the refusal to have talks and continued arrest and torture of the doctors! That is totally uncalled for. I was and am still thoroughly against the closure of indoor and emergencies, however, the brutal treatment the doctors are being subject to, even those who ARE working in the emergencies is enough to irk and flare up anyone in their sane minds!
Someone is missing Musharref! ;)
The CM has made a complete mess here. Doctors are not slaves of Sharifs to obey their orders. Sharifs can hire media people and other big sacred cows in their favor but not the ordinary people or doctors. Sharifs are wasting all the province resources in fraud schemes such as yellow cab, sasto roti, danish schools and else. They have not focused on improving the system.
Politics comes into play in every issue irrespective of the fact how many lives of the people r involved. Yes its the right time to acclaim or malign Sharifs rather than getting to the core. Perhaps its still a long haul for us to become a mature nation.
United they stand; In your face CM Punjab!
It was my parents wish to make me doctor, but now they feel very proud that I failed to qualify for medical college. Later appeared in additional maths paper in intermediate and chose computer sciences.
I was so depressed not to become doctor but now I am feeling proud that I am earning 3 times more than a doctor :-)
Provincial Government is responsible for this mess. Sharifs have again shown their short-sightedness in solving issues. They have backtracked from their words, to cover up now they are employing aggressive methods. It is simple, straighten up the neglected health system and stop exploiting!
This is democracy friends !
I am not a PMLN supporter but for the first time I am behind PMLN in dealing with an iron hand against these blackmailers. Their salaries were already raised up by Punjab Govt last year and they still want further allowance and grade upgradation at the cost of innocent lives. Really good to see Shahbaz Sharif handling these blackmailers with an iron hand. All these 'hurtaali doctors''' license/degrees should be scrapped and make them pay the entire fees which Govt payed for their expensive education.
There is no future of these illiterated and inept polititions who just know to suppress.
They are sending wrong message to the rest of the services!! Stop black mailing and immediately join ur duties!!
We were on duty when we encountered a police raid and torture.Why you call it a strike.Explore the facts and you will come to know that even when OPD strike was going on, we doubled our workload , OPD patients were being checked in emergency or wards beside emergency and ward patients.Police,under instructions,started arresting and tortured doctors on duty.Doctor can serve only when he is alive and is not under security risk.It was only after the arrests that doctors couldnt come to hospitals as they were under security threats.Dont speak just because you have to say something.Speak when you have something to say.We doctors dont have money for media advertisements, we dont have powers to manipulate facts.All we have is our sincerity and an invitation for everyone to come and see the facts.
You call us terrorists,gangsters,mafia. Call us whatever may please you. Truth is that terrorists are not born,they are made terrorists by social injustice.Gangsters and mafia are not born,they are made so.
If doctors also had political mafias backing (like transporters, CNG, others) by now their demand wud have been met. Since they are ordniray people, they will be beaten and jailed!
Doctors aren't your pets. You can't emotionally blackmail them with sick patients to make them work without giving them fair pay and benefits for their indispensable service.
You decide to use police to raid doctors' homes and hostels, torture them, beat them into a coma, and harass their families? Well done. Now it's our move.
I thought army doctors had already saved Pakistan.
Well Shahbaz Sharif needed to realize that noone dies in OPDs, but will die if they act illogically and brutally against most important community of this country
coercion does not work with the educated lot - Sharif brothers must attend classes how to deal with a new Pakistan.
Everyone in Punjab knows that from which Political Party all Senior YDA members belong to and it is no wonder that party is completely silent on this issue and Mr Revolutionary again vanished from the scene as usual.
In a country where corrupt media will show the suppressor as the suppressed, and the suppressed as the suppressor balance of the society will shift and this is exactly what will happen; Chaos !
Oh i am so glad to read an article that is not biased. All others are trying their best to defame the doctors without considering that what government had done would indeed have repercussions.
The demands might be legitimate and surely, Punjab government’s method of dealing is extremely irresponsible but the strike is completely unjustified. The doctors could have easily taken their case to the Supreme Court. They have a verdict in their favour as they claim, so if the implementation was not done by the government then why didn’t they just file a complain in the Supreme Court. A court that can oust a sitting PM for not implementing the courts’s verdict could have easily helped them out. But instead the doctors decided to take their frustration out on the poor masses. No matter how justified their demands are, it doesn’t give them a license to cause pain and suffering to others.
Where are the doctors from Army? Make them work 24/7.
Management is like holding dove in the hands, if you tighten your grip you kill it or if you lose your grip, you let it go but what can we expect from a blacksmith, he only knows hammering.
“Senior doctors are in their 50s and cannot do rigorous work for 24 hours. That is why we are demanding that our doctors should be released immediately,” Ahsan maintained."
And they are also too busy in their private clinics where they spend most of their time. The government-run hospitals are just the place to admit their private patients and in turn to be taken care by these young doctors.
This is what happens when you vote for people like the Sharrifs!
This is what happens when you vote for people the Shariffs!
Punjabi doctors need to show some humanity! Where is the Hypocratic Oath?
Frannkly, the doctors coming on TV scare me. I heard one young doctor say: "life is in his hands but he can turn it to death as well." What sort of message are they sending?
If a person makes such comments, how do you expect people and the government to react?
Senior ir Junior, they are all the same
Just knowing that Punjab govt cannot cancel degrees of all doctors has made them arrogant. I wish we had surplus doctors to fill this gap, or had human doctors not butchers.
This shows the incompetance of PML(N) that they cannot handle sensitive issues. The only waty out is immediate release of doctors and negotiations with seniors doctors a part of these negotiations
Pakistan is all about politics........Every one whether in government, or outside, in service or outside, agitating and demonsrating. Oh Allah have mercy on us
PMLN has made a huge mess of a small matter!!!
The real picture of good governance by zalim-e-aala. He has failed the province at each issue he encountered: 1. Healthcare 2. Law & Order 3. Education 4. Tax collection 5. Losing Punjab's interests in Council of Common Interests and thus inviting unprecedented loadshedding in the history of the province
He is good only at one thing: propaganda and lying. But you can deceive some people some of the times, not all the people all the time. Here too he and his team of propagandists flooded the newspapers with advertisements that the issue stands resolved. The truth turns out to be totally the opposite.
The demands might be legitimate and surely, Punjab government's method of dealing is extremely irresponsible but the strike is completely unjustified.
The doctors could have easily taken their case to the Supreme Court. They have a verdict in their favour as they claim, so if the implementation was not done by the government then why didn't they just file a complain in the Supreme Court. A court that can oust a sitting PM for not implementing the courts's verdict could have easily helped them out. But instead the doctors decided to take their frustration out on the poor masses. No matter how justified their demands are, it doesn't give them a license to cause pain and suffering to others.
Another Mafia in Pakistan has emerged
police raiding the drs have made the conditions worse.................. shabaz sharif is responsible for this mess up.... he should have thought 100 times before attacking the drs ... the adamant attitude of punjab govt is the major problem....
these so called senios who dont want to work should be arrested and sent to jail....iron hand from day one........
Pakistan is slowly and gradually becoming a miserable place for everyone. The government doesn't have money to motivate young doctors and has failed to resolve the health system problems. This could become a lasting problem and is a further a step towards an Afghanistan kind of country.
Doctors have become blackmailers.
whoa! This is getting serious. Punjab Govt should go to to tables with them instead of "forcing them to work" - they are No Slaves!! In developed countries, ministers either solve the issue or resign! PM should have sacked CM; but oh he's a PM of Islamabad only. This happens when you make such coalition partners aka friendly opposition!
Being ordinary citizen of Pakistan I urge senoir doctors to avoid unfair play as the youung doctor did; don't abuse your power otherwise it would be hard to stop masses (VICTIM OF YOUR CRUEL PORTEST) to take unfair steps against you in the streets and I am affraid if the situation contains it would be impossible for you come out from your homes. DON'T TEST THE NERVES OF MASSES
you sctrach my back and i will sctrach yours, suit perfectly with these doctors, aka blackmailers.
New addition to the miseries of poor people, in the end they are the real sufferers, and the lethal act by the so called most educated class of our society,, Give them Money and get everything done, loss of lives is of no significance to the Doctors.
Doctors can also call to protest the teachers, nurses to raise their salaries as well. Good thing people are rising up for their rights without being violent.