Doctors’ strike: other side of the picture
“The government will have to withdraw these orders. It’s an attempt to break the YDA but it will backfire”, said my friend. This was April 11, 2012. At that time, I thought my friend’s prediction was a valid one. But the next few days proved me wrong. The doctors had been transferred to adjust 691 newly-recruited doctors. In protest, the YDA, Punjab announced to go on strike in Lahore from April 12. On April 16, the YDA extended the strike to the rest of Punjab and put up an additional demand of being provided with a service structure, which attracted doctors from across the province and even those who had not been transferred started supporting the strike. On April 19, the strike was called off after the government withdrew the transfers. However, by then, the demand for a service structure had been raised and the YDA asked the government to comply with it.
However, no development took place on the provision of a service structure and the YDA announced that it would again go on strike from May 9. After the strike announcement, the government negotiated with the doctors and a committee was formed to submit its proposals to change the service structure by June 7. The deadline expired without a consensus developing between the government and the YDA on the issue. From June 18, the YDA started its province-wide strike.
Many believe that going on strike was a mistake on the part of the YDA. That may be true, but in my opinion, the Punjab government committed an even bigger mistake by starting a crackdown on doctors on July 1. I have been reporting on this issue from day one, and I know that by July 1, the YDA, Punjab had divided into two groups. Its members from south Punjab weren’t willing to continue with the strike and same was the case with the members from Gujranwala. Had the government not arrested the doctors, the situation would have fizzled out and the strike would have failed. The government’s crackdown, however, united the entire medical community.
The problem is that every time the YDA came on the roads to protest, their demands were accepted, which made it believe that they only had to come out on the roads and their problems will be solved. Had the government avoided acceding to the YDA demands in this manner, things would have been different. And if the government hadn’t employed highhanded methods, the situation would have returned to normalcy. The raids on doctors’ hostels and their arrest gave the medical community the higher moral ground to continue with their strike, which has worsened the situation.
Every day, numerous Pakistani doctors are hired by Middle Eastern countries. This trend has to be halted but this will never happen if the government insists on registering criminal cases against doctors. The government needs to handle such situations in an appropriate manner. It needs to learn to do backdoor negotiations to win the doctors to its side if it really wants to improve the healthcare system. Doctors, too, need to understand that they shouldn’t be led by those who believe in indulging in hooliganism in order to achieve their ends.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 5th, 2012.
COMMENTS (19)
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one shouldn't marry a doctor after this. it just proves how greedy they all are, pathetic and sick!
How can one be assured of strike to fail which had been going on for 12 days. Come on, do you think rest of us are dumb. Don't we see how YDA has been politically making their move. I've seen more slogans against Shabaz Sharif and criticism on his family by YDA. Perhaps would it had not been politically motivated, things would had been different.
You should get service structure with tough requirements. Only few should move into higher grades as pay scales are soaring high enough for the government to sustain its operations and to balance the quorum of all other government institutes.
They are not doctors they are blackmailers like our politicians.who only know their interests. YDA leader,.we should say them 'LEADERS' say we also raise the problems of patients and ask govt to solve their problems.then why they dont protest and go on strikes for them. They are only blackmailers and killers. This is the both side of the mirror. There is no difference between Doctors and Politicians. Politicians are slow poisoning the people.while doctor take direct action and killed many people.
The YDA and the Punjab government were in the very same place last year when the doctors made these same demands. After much commotion the Punjab government agreed to meet the demands of the doctors, promising to raise their salaries and negotiate the flawed service structure. More than a year has passed and the doctors, it seems, are fed up of being given false promises — their salaries remain meagre and their service structure is such that they may as well be taken for granted. This has led to so much mistrust in the government of Shahbaz Sharif that the YDA is not interested in hearing what fresh promises the government throws its way. One does not understand why the government made lofty promises to these aggrieved doctors in the first place if it had no intention of living up to them. Now that the doctors are asking for accountability for these promises they are being bullied into calling off the strike by force.
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……………………
Has the Punjab Govt. accepted that there should be a service structure for Doctors too ?. If accepted in principle, what is the reason of non implementation ?. If not accepted about the service structure then it is a sad affairs . Everywhere in the progressive countries of the world . in all sphere of employment there remains a service structure and applicable here too. Unless the baby cries the mother too does not feed and in this case it is the insensitive Govt. machinery. Though medical profession is an essential services and strictly by law the services of doctors may be terminated. But that can't be the solution.Ultimately negotiation with sincere intention leads to the desired solution without ill feelings
@Rizwan: Oh! So people in other govt. services get promoted by improving their professional qualification? Some do. But if we talk about majority then their seniority and promotions are based upon their years of service. So quit criticizing others for the sake of criticize. Don't have anything productive to say? Then say nothing.
@Abdul Rehman Afzal: Who took away the doctors? Nobody was dying before the crackdown. Media is portraying that closing down OPDs led to serious suffering of patients but the truth is patients with only minor problems like sore throat, stomach ache etc. come to the OPDs. Only the non emergency services were closed and the strike was going out peacefully. The writer is correct. Using brutal force against the doctors lead to these worsening circumstances. Otherwise it would have indeed fizzled out. And yes, the government's crackdown has indeed untied the entire medical community.
Mr. Ayub Khan Did your uncle try to improve his professional qualification at any stage? If NO then why blame the system.
All are going to destroy Pakistan. They all are fighting for their own sake. No one hasn't care Pakistan. and Pakistan's poor nation. They all are evils. i don't have any believe on any one. including journalist. doctors. surely govt . lawyers . businessmen all community are fake and they need to improve their self. You all taking our blood and keep stinging.
Gov wants Doctors to fullfill their duties but dont want to pay them their rights, this is a definite drawback that it will prevent males to enter in this field (though already medical colleges girl to boy ratio is 8:2) and those lucky boys who gets MBBS will go abroad as u cant pay them. You are also very well aware that most of girls discontinue medical practices. So, its better to think again, pay doctors well so that they can work well because only a relax mind can take crucial decisions. Dont compare pays of Doctors with Engg. or other professions because not only doctors has to study more they also work double than them i.e about 90 hours a week n just two sundays off in a month
Spoken without facts in evidence Mr. Bilal. After 18th amendment, health is provincial responsibility so YDA PUNJAB can only ask for their own service structure hoping for and supporting any demands from doctors from other provinces.
How can you justify doctor's strike? people are dying in absence of doctors who is responsible for it?? There are many other ways instead of strike, why they can't go to any court and ask for their rights? i don't find any difference b/w these doctors and blackmailers.
If YDA demands are right then why don't doctors protest and demand a service structure all over Pakistan? As long as it is Punjab-only protest, I won't support it because salary in other provinces is lower than Punjab but doctors are protesting only in Punjab which sounds more like a political act.
Nice articles but backdoor negotiations need a sincere and politically sound mind......The so called Khadim of Punjab is busy in his tent office and using hand fans while the TV cameras are on. His family embers are busy in attracting the youth by giving them laptops. Mr. Nawaz Sharif decided to visit Germany since it is a hot summer in Lahore and he could avoid saying anything YDA strike. HE could also get some medical check ups while abroad since in Pakistan our hospital do not fulfill their standards. So we are left at the mercy of Rana Sanaullah, health secreatry and IG Punjab. The formula devised by this team is simple..." Lets teach a lesson to these doctors". so many of the YDA leaders are in torture cells and getting to know what it costs to challenge the Khadim...BTW can anyone tell me when the Khadim or his immediate family was treated in any of the govt. hospitals???
An excellent article. an eye opener for all those who have only seen this YDA strike from the eyes of the electronic media. It should give a chance to a lot of people to reconsider their opinions.