The govt’s honeymoon period is over; if it intends to reform the health sector, it must also provide a permanent service structure to doctors, says YDA Presiden. PHOTO: FILE
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Young Doctors Association (YDA) has demanded the provincial government to immediately implement a service structure for doctors in the province.
Addressing a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club on Wednesday, YDA President Dr Alamgir Khan Yousafzai warned the government to accept the doctors’ demands till September 14 otherwise they would protest.
“We do not want to go on strike, however, we will be forced to do so to avail our rights,” said Yousafzai. He added he hoped the government would either accept their demands or initiate steps towards the resolution of their problems in the stipulated period.
The president said the association had presented their demands of a service structure to the health department and the health minister and asked them to implement them soon.
Terming the delay in the implementation of a services structure as ‘sad,’ Yousafzai said the previous government had constituted several committees to discuss the matter and the YDA had met these committees and even agreed on some points. However, they were never implemented.
“The current government’s honeymoon period is over; if it intends to reform the health sector then it must also provide permanent and acceptable service structure to doctors,” said Yousafzai.
Dr Alamgir lauded the provincial government’s announcement of free of charge emergency services in public hospitals and said they hoped the service would be extended to the entire province.
The YDA also supported the introduction of biometric thumb impression machines at hospitals to ensure the staff’s attendance, however, Yousafzai maintained the move should be implemented in all government departments. “If thumb impression attendance machines are only introduced for the health department that would be a discriminatory action,” he stated.
The president also demanded the duty hours of trainee medical officers be brought in accordance with international labour laws and they be paid overtime for the additional hours they put in.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 5th, 2013.
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