After the ink dries: Provincial Doctors Association calls off strike after government caves in

Health minister accepts service structure among other demands.

PESHAWAR:

After a meeting with Health Minister Shaukat Yousafzai on Wednesday, the Provincial Doctors Association (PDA) called off their strike at the three major government hospitals in the city and promised their presence within the designated work hours.

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government accepted a slew of demands which had doctors boycotting outpatient departments (OPDs) since the past two days. The demands included raising salaries and stipends, regularising services of ad hoc doctors, announcing new positions for doctors under the public service commission, constructing residential colonies for medical practitioners, arranging accommodation within hospital grounds and foolproof security.

The strike was called off by the PDA in a news conference at the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH). PDA Chairman Dr Shah Sawar said the decision to resume services was made after their demands were accepted by the government.



“All demands were accepted in writing in a successful meeting with the health minister.”

Dr Sawar stipulated the doctors will wait for two weeks and if their demands are not fulfilled in actuality, they will redraw the picket lines.

The Young Doctor Associations (YDA) also welcomed the government’s initiative and promised to be present at the hospital during their duty hours.

At a separate news conference at the LRH, YDA President Dr Alamgir Khan explained Yousafzai had assured them all autonomous hospitals shall create a reasonable number of positions for house officers in the next annual budget. This will ensure paid house jobs.

According to Dr Khan, as one of the problems faced by doctors was accommodation, the institutional management committees will pay special attention to resolve the issue for medical officers (MOs) and trainee medical officers (TMOs).

The health minister also assured doctors that existing law on medical and health institutions will be reviewed by a health department committee. If need be, experts will be hired to consult on the matter.

Expanding on promises he made on Tuesday regarding a service structure, Yousafzai said a four-tier formula will be applied within the stipulated time in letter and spirit of the law.

In the waiting room

As the PDA boycotted OPDs and surgical wards most of Wednesday, patients at Peshawar’s government hospitals continued to face problems. According to an official at the LRH, approximately 6,000 patients visited 27 OPDs and nearly 3,000 went to the casualty department for treatment.

Over 5,000 patients visited the Hayatabad Medical Complex OPD but suffered over the last two days as there were no doctors in attendance.

Nephrology patient Ahmad Riaz from Pabbi told The Express Tribune he travelled to the HMC because complications arose with his kidney problems but the OPD was closed.

Another patient, Abdul Haneef from Mardan, explained it was his second day waiting for a CT scan report and, “doctors at the lab are palming off excuses based on the strike.”

Yet another surprise

Yousafzai paid a surprise visit to the LRH and expressed dismay over the closure of the OPD and other health services.

He directed the hospital to reopen the OPD from Thursday and asked the doctors to tend to their duties or else action would be taken against them.

Yousafzai explained to members of the media that the government had accepted the doctors’ demands and announced a service structure for them. A notification to this effect would be issued soon.

He added most doctors were willing to cross picket lines to come to work but were being manipulated by a particular group for its own political gain. “We will not allow anyone to play with the lives of patients,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 19^th, 2013.