The Lahore High Court (LHC) has directed the Young Doctors Association (YDA) to submit in writing its proposals a revised service structure by Saturday (today).
Earlier, an additional advocate general (AAG) submitted that the government could not agree to giving the doctors more perks than doctors serving in other provinces. He said doctors were being paid enough.
Justice Ijazul Ahsan said the recommendations will be forwarded to the government and the court would give a ruling after receiving the government’s response to it.
AAG Faisal Zaman said meeting all doctors’ demands would open a Pandora’s box. He said government servants in other categories would demand similar perks and privileges. He also said the government could not legislate a service structure that caused problems in other provinces.
He said all doctors could not be promoted to grade 18 as that would violate the Civil Service Act 1974. He said the immediate package doctors had demanded alone would cost Rs4.72 billion. He said the government committee had met all stake holders in the matter in compliance with the court orders. He said YDA Punjab representatives had been asked to submit proposals for a service structure in keeping with rules in other provinces.
YDA Punjab representative Nasir Abbas said they were not demanding official vehicles or houses. He said after completing 18 years’ of education a doctor deserved special perks and appointment in grade 18. Justice Ahsan adjourned the hearing till July 24.
Petition filed by Advocate Muhammad Azhar Siddique seeks directions for the cancellation of the licences of doctors who go on strike. The court has also been requested to declare the YDA an illegal organisation.
The petitioner has submitted that the doctors’ refusal to treat the patients in the hospitals was a denial of the fundamental rights of patients.
It says that as government servants the doctors could not form a union.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 21st, 2012.
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YDA must be declared illegal as a compulsory service and doctors be banned for any strike in future.