Ugly turn of events: YDA protest forces SKMCH to call off annual symposium
YDA officials claim that guards roughed up some of their members who were trying to enter the venue
LAHORE:
Shaukat Khan Memorial Cancer Hospital’s (SKMCH) 13th annual international symposium was called off on Friday after a protest demonstration by dozens of Young Doctors’ Association members at the venue for the symposium resulted in a scuffle.
YDA officials claimed that five of their members were injured after some guards roughed up some of their members who were trying to enter the venue.
SKMCH Assistant Media Manager Raheel Naseem said that the symposium had been cancelled. He said the hospital had been preparing for the symposium for eight months and had invited around 3,000 delegates, including 150 foreign delegates, for the three-day event.
He said they had not filed a complaint against the YDA with the police, “but we’re thinking about it”.
Police said that around 100 members of the YDA had arrived at the venue at around 11am. They were carrying placards and were shouting slogans. The Qila Gujjar Singh SHO led a team of eight policemen in front of the venue for security purposes.
Police said a group of doctors tried to force entry and the police and security guards there tried to stop them.
Police said 40 policemen were called to control the situation. They arrived at the venue wearing anti-riot gear. By the time they arrived, some of the doctors had managed to force their way onto the premises where the symposium was in session. The symposium was abruptly called off at around 1:30pm.
YDA Punjab president Ajmal Chaudhry said, “We did not want them to cancel the symposium. The doctors who were manhandled for trying to enter the venue had registered for the event. If allowed to enter, they would have held a silent and peaceful protest.” That changed when the guards began manhandling the doctors. Chaudhry said that the YDA had been protesting for over a month against the sacking of seven doctors by the SKMCH. “What option did we have?” He said only the YDA members had been injured. “We will continue our protest till the doctors are reinstated.”
Members of the YDA at the protest said that the security guards at the venue had injured five of their doctors. They said the police were doing their duty but the guards had tried to rough them up first.
SKMCH CEO Dr Faisal Sultan said that the symposium had been cancelled due to disruption caused by the YDA. He said the symposium was an educational event where delegates from several countries had gathered to share their research and expertise. “Due to Friday’s unfortunate events at the inaugural ceremony, wherein proceedings were disrupted by violent protests, harassment and the creation of a hostage situation by the YDA, the symposium’s organising committee has decided to cancel the event.”
He said this was a loss for the whole nation, as the symposium was a premier oncology meeting and its cancellation was a source of embarrassment abroad.
He said the hospital management will not be blackmailed by any group.
Civil Lines SP Imtiaz Sarwar said they had tried to stop the protesters from charging into the venue. “The action taken was out of necessity... we did not injure anyone”. He said they had not received a complaint.
The media representative of the venue for the event was unavailable for comment.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 22nd, 2014.
Shaukat Khan Memorial Cancer Hospital’s (SKMCH) 13th annual international symposium was called off on Friday after a protest demonstration by dozens of Young Doctors’ Association members at the venue for the symposium resulted in a scuffle.
YDA officials claimed that five of their members were injured after some guards roughed up some of their members who were trying to enter the venue.
SKMCH Assistant Media Manager Raheel Naseem said that the symposium had been cancelled. He said the hospital had been preparing for the symposium for eight months and had invited around 3,000 delegates, including 150 foreign delegates, for the three-day event.
He said they had not filed a complaint against the YDA with the police, “but we’re thinking about it”.
Police said that around 100 members of the YDA had arrived at the venue at around 11am. They were carrying placards and were shouting slogans. The Qila Gujjar Singh SHO led a team of eight policemen in front of the venue for security purposes.
Police said a group of doctors tried to force entry and the police and security guards there tried to stop them.
Police said 40 policemen were called to control the situation. They arrived at the venue wearing anti-riot gear. By the time they arrived, some of the doctors had managed to force their way onto the premises where the symposium was in session. The symposium was abruptly called off at around 1:30pm.
YDA Punjab president Ajmal Chaudhry said, “We did not want them to cancel the symposium. The doctors who were manhandled for trying to enter the venue had registered for the event. If allowed to enter, they would have held a silent and peaceful protest.” That changed when the guards began manhandling the doctors. Chaudhry said that the YDA had been protesting for over a month against the sacking of seven doctors by the SKMCH. “What option did we have?” He said only the YDA members had been injured. “We will continue our protest till the doctors are reinstated.”
Members of the YDA at the protest said that the security guards at the venue had injured five of their doctors. They said the police were doing their duty but the guards had tried to rough them up first.
SKMCH CEO Dr Faisal Sultan said that the symposium had been cancelled due to disruption caused by the YDA. He said the symposium was an educational event where delegates from several countries had gathered to share their research and expertise. “Due to Friday’s unfortunate events at the inaugural ceremony, wherein proceedings were disrupted by violent protests, harassment and the creation of a hostage situation by the YDA, the symposium’s organising committee has decided to cancel the event.”
He said this was a loss for the whole nation, as the symposium was a premier oncology meeting and its cancellation was a source of embarrassment abroad.
He said the hospital management will not be blackmailed by any group.
Civil Lines SP Imtiaz Sarwar said they had tried to stop the protesters from charging into the venue. “The action taken was out of necessity... we did not injure anyone”. He said they had not received a complaint.
The media representative of the venue for the event was unavailable for comment.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 22nd, 2014.