YDA plans sit-it in today

Doctors demand end to privatiation of health facilities in 10 districts

LAHORE: The Young Doctors’ Association (YDA), Punjab, will stage a brief sit-in in front of the Punjab Assembly on Thursday (today).

The YDA members will also take out rallies across the province and block various roads. However, a strike has not been called.

“In Lahore, doctors from Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Mayo Hospital and De Montmorency College of Dentistry will block The Mall and stage a sit-in in front of the Punjab Assembly. The assembly will be in session at the time. We might send our representatives to meet political leaders who come out and listen to our demands. Doctors from Lahore General Hospital (LGH) and the Children’s Hospital will block the Ferozepur Road, protesters from the Services Hospital and Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) will block the Jail Road and YDA members from Jinnah Hospital and Shaikh Zaid Hospital will block the Canal Road,” Dr Khurrum Shehzad, the YDA information secretary, said.

“We want the privatiation of health facilities in 10 districts to be stopped. The agreed service structure for doctors should be fully implemented. The paid seats of post graduate trainees (PGs) should be approved and compensatory packages given to doctors who work in rural health centres and basic health units in far-flung areas. We will try to raise our voice in the provincial assembly through opposition members,” said Dr Shabbir Chaudhry, the YDA legal adviser.

“We will continue our struggle till our demands are met. In the next stage, we will hold seminars in hospitals and organise rallies. We will not observe a strike so that patients do not face nay problem. However, if our demands are not met the option is always available,” he said.

A Health Department official said that the YDA should resolve any issues through talks rather than taking to streets.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 27^th, 2015.