The demonstrations were called by the YDA to demand that the government release and drop charges against its members. PHOTO: SHAFIQ MALIK/EXPRESS
Members of the Young Doctors Association (YDA) Punjab staged protests lasting several hours here on Thursday, staying away from their jobs and blocking major roads.
The doctors protested on Canal Bank Road outside Jinnah Hospital, on Ferozepur Road outside Children’s Hospital, and on Jail Road outside Services Hospital, causing long traffic queues. Operations at several public hospitals had to be postponed because of the absence of doctors.
The demonstrations were called by the YDA to demand that the government release and drop charges against its members who were arrested for roughing up the medical superintendent of Gujranwala district headquarters hospital and ransacking his office last week.
They also demanded that cases be registered against “government thugs” who allegedly beat up doctors in Gujranwala, that the health secretary be removed, and any “punitive transfers” of YDA members be cancelled.
Meanwhile, the Lahore High Court on Thursday admitted for regular hearing a petition seeking punitive action against doctors who took part in a strike in public hospitals called by the YDA after the Gujranwala incident.
The judge heard the petition as an objection case and fixed it for regular hearing after removing the objection. Justice Ijazul Ahsan will take up the petition, moved by Judicial Activism Panel Chairman Azhar Siddique, from Friday (today).
During Thursday’s hearing, the court observed that doctors could not be allowed to go on strikes because denial of medical treatment was a violation of Article 9 of the Constitution: “No person shall be deprived of life or liberty save in accordance with law.”
The petitioner submitted that doctors who went on strike could be punished not just for criminal negligence, but also for murder as under Section 300 read with Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code.
He said that the Young Doctors Association (YDA), registered under Section 42 of the Companies Ordinance of 1984, had been conducting protests as a trade organisation in violation of the Constitution. Further, he said, the YDA had could be construed as having committed the offence of sedition as stated in Section 124-A of the PPC.
He said that the regulatory bodies of the medical profession were the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), King Edward Medical University and the University of Health Sciences. The only body authorised to represent doctors across Pakistan was the Pakistan Medical Association, he said.
The Punjab government recently included healthcare services in the Punjab Essential Services (Maintenance) Act, 1958, which barred doctors from boycotting their duties, the petitioner said. He also pointed out that the Supreme Court had instructed the young doctors not to go on strike.
He asked the court to issue directions to the PMDC and other regulatory bodies to punish the doctors, including by cancelling the licences of those who went on strike. He also asked the court to direct the law enforcement agencies to look into the matter and protect the lives of the citizens.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 11th, 2013.
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YDA is supporting the criminal gang in Gujranwala.That gang who tortured the MS and DMS must be prosecuted and these people must be put in jail and their medical licenses must be permanently cancelled. As far as YDA is concerned it must be banned. Their members dismissed from services and licenses permanently banned. All those doctors who participated in the strike on Thursday should also be terminated or must not be paid for next six months. Health dept should start recruiting new doctors on contract basis and let the present one go(especially those who keep on going on strike every few wks)
The other way is to ask all the doctors to resin or terminate them and then pick the only those doctors who give in writing promise that they will not strike. Even in this case do not hire back YDA council .
Disclaimer.I. am not member of any political party and this comment is written on behalf of poor people of Punjab who come to govt hosp for service and not to be killed and injured by these striking doctors.
But the reporter writing the report puts 'allegedly' in only one place, implicating doctors. Absolutely hypocritical reporting.
Essential Services Act states that government will formulate structure and pay rules on those whom the Act is applicable. I guess that part they all intentionally & conveniently prefer not to read.
Right of protest is a universal fundamental non-negotiable democratic right to all human beings. Only a dictator attempts to deny such universal fundamental democratic rights.