Trainee medical officers boycott OPD at LRH

Doctors claim they were attacked with sticks, bricks and loaded guns

PESHAWAR: With the lodging wars raging between doctors and paramedics at Lady Reading Hospital, trainee medical officers boycotted the outpatient department.

The Doctors Action Committee (DAC) held talks with the hospital administration, the Peshawar AC and the health secretary. Till the filing of this report, the talks continued during which the doctors claimed they had been attacked, adding that the administration was favouring paramedical staff.

“We were assaulted with sticks, bricks and some people even wielded loaded guns,” Dr Iqtidar Muhammad told The Express Tribune. “Although we were the ones assaulted, the administration favoured the paramedics and did not bother to mention the attack on doctors,” he continued.

He claimed trainee medical officers were attacked after being told to shift into the hostel by the LRH administration. Dr Iqtidar added Dr Atif of the medical ward was critically injured and was being treated at the general ICU. Another eight people were injured in the clashes.

Clash of clans

He said the DAC would continue the boycott of the OPD till the administration allotted the hostel to doctors with families and suspended the medical director.

However, the authorities at LRH contend that doctors occupied a hostel dedicated to paramedical staff. “The PC-1 clearly mentions that the hostel will be used by paramedical staffers, but the doctors occupied it and this led to a clash,” an LRH administration official said.

When contacted, LRH focal person Dr Ghulam Subhani told The Express Tribune that talks were under way between the trainee medical officers and their teachers. He added the department would conduct an investigation into the matter.

He said although TMOs boycotted OPD services, other doctors were deputed in an effort to negate the impact of this fallout on patients.

Meanwhile, the DAC held a news conference at Peshawar Press Club on Tuesday.

Representatives of all doctors’ associations said the contract letters of TMOs clearly mentioned a residence. They also slammed the police for failing to play their role. “If someone carrying guns can attack doctors, what can one expect when anti-state elements enter the premises?” Dr Gul Noor asked. He said that the talks were under way when the TMOs were attacked.

The missing minister

Things were at a complete standstill at LRH and most conspicuous by his absence was Minister for Health Shahram Tarakai.

Insiders said the minister was monitoring the situation from his hometown since he was preparing for a gathering which Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan is scheduled to attend on November 22.

“The minister will be arriving after the gathering, but is monitoring the situation along with the health secretary and has ordered an enquiry into the incident,” the official sources informed The Express Tribune.

However, the LRH administration believed Tarakai should have been at hand to resolve the matter at the earliest.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 18^th, 2015.