YDA strikes: 50 doctors inducted in Pindi
New ad-hoc signings will lessen burden on senior doctors; PMA gives 72 hours to sort out issues; strike continues.
RAWALPINDI:
As many as 50 new doctors were inducted on an ad hoc basis in the three main government hospitals of Rawalpindi to cope with the crisis created by the Young Doctors Association’s (YDA) strike, which entered its 17th day on Wednesday.
The Punjab government has invited applications from doctors to join public hospitals in the province to ease the suffering of innocent patients, who have needlessly borne the brunt of the impact of the strike. The YDA was, and continues protesting for service structure revisions and promotions.
Holy Family Hospital has inducted 25 doctors, while Benazir Bhutto Hospital took in 20 and District Headquarters Hospital added five doctors to help ease the burden on a few senior doctors who have remained on duty throughout the strike.
Over 200 male and female doctors walked-in for interviews that were conducted by the medical superintendents of the hospitals as an emergency plan to deal with the impact of YDA protests.
Rawalpindi Medical College principal and head of its three allied hospitals Dr Musadaq Khan said the provincial health authorities had decided to hire the doctors on ad hoc basis after the young doctors went on strike.
The principal said that with the induction of doctors through the Punjab Public Service Commission, hiring of doctors on ad hoc basis and the continuing presence of senior doctors at OPDs, the administrations had to a great extent provided relief to patients in the absence of young doctors.
Discussions with senior doctors and administration officials revealed that most medical officers on strike had returned to their duties and a good number of post-graduate trainees and house officers were returning to the hospitals as well.
On the other hand, YDA representatives said they would continue protesting until their arrested colleagues were released and criminal action was taken against policemen who manhandled them.
In a statement for the media sent via SMS, the YDA’s Rawalpindi representatives expressed their resolve to continue their strike against all odds and hoped the newly-inducted doctors would also join their strike.
On Tuesday, the Rawalpindi chapter of the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) gave a 72-hour deadline to the Punjab government to resolve the YDA issue and the assaults on doctors, or members of the PMA would also join the protesting doctors.
A press statement issued by PMA Rawalpindi President Dr Arshad Rana said that if the sacked doctors were not restored and arrested medical practitioners were not released, they would join the YDA protests.
Dr Rana said only senior doctors could make their young colleagues return to their duties and coercive measures should not be taken against them.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 5th, 2012.
As many as 50 new doctors were inducted on an ad hoc basis in the three main government hospitals of Rawalpindi to cope with the crisis created by the Young Doctors Association’s (YDA) strike, which entered its 17th day on Wednesday.
The Punjab government has invited applications from doctors to join public hospitals in the province to ease the suffering of innocent patients, who have needlessly borne the brunt of the impact of the strike. The YDA was, and continues protesting for service structure revisions and promotions.
Holy Family Hospital has inducted 25 doctors, while Benazir Bhutto Hospital took in 20 and District Headquarters Hospital added five doctors to help ease the burden on a few senior doctors who have remained on duty throughout the strike.
Over 200 male and female doctors walked-in for interviews that were conducted by the medical superintendents of the hospitals as an emergency plan to deal with the impact of YDA protests.
Rawalpindi Medical College principal and head of its three allied hospitals Dr Musadaq Khan said the provincial health authorities had decided to hire the doctors on ad hoc basis after the young doctors went on strike.
The principal said that with the induction of doctors through the Punjab Public Service Commission, hiring of doctors on ad hoc basis and the continuing presence of senior doctors at OPDs, the administrations had to a great extent provided relief to patients in the absence of young doctors.
Discussions with senior doctors and administration officials revealed that most medical officers on strike had returned to their duties and a good number of post-graduate trainees and house officers were returning to the hospitals as well.
On the other hand, YDA representatives said they would continue protesting until their arrested colleagues were released and criminal action was taken against policemen who manhandled them.
In a statement for the media sent via SMS, the YDA’s Rawalpindi representatives expressed their resolve to continue their strike against all odds and hoped the newly-inducted doctors would also join their strike.
On Tuesday, the Rawalpindi chapter of the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) gave a 72-hour deadline to the Punjab government to resolve the YDA issue and the assaults on doctors, or members of the PMA would also join the protesting doctors.
A press statement issued by PMA Rawalpindi President Dr Arshad Rana said that if the sacked doctors were not restored and arrested medical practitioners were not released, they would join the YDA protests.
Dr Rana said only senior doctors could make their young colleagues return to their duties and coercive measures should not be taken against them.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 5th, 2012.