ISLAMABAD – The strike observed by doctors associated with the Young Doctors’ Association (YDA) allegedly claimed the life of a 13-year-old girl at Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) in Rawalpindi on Thursday. A source in BBH said 13-year-old Sana, a resident of Kalar Saidan, breathed his last at BBH as no doctor was present in the hospital. The source further said Sana was suffering from breath and heart problem and was brought in the emergency department of the BBH on Wednesday night, but, it added, she died in front of her parents as doctors’ strike had entered the 30th day.
Earlier, YDA were on partial strike but, from Tuesday, the doctors refused to perform duties at out door and indoor departments. In Rawalpindi, more than 300 doctors took out a rally against the Punjab government for not accepting their longstanding demands. The rally was led by Punjab YDA Chairman Dr Haroon and attended by the doctors from Allied Hospitals (AHs), district headquarters hospital (DHQ), BBH and Holy Family Hospital (HFH). The rally was started from Fawara Chowk and culminated in front of Rawalpindi Islamabad Press Club (RIPC) passing through Liaquat Road and Benazir Bhutto Road (BBR).
The doctors were carrying various placards inscribed with slogans like “Save doctors, save humanity” and “Stop economical killings of doctors.” They also chanted slogans against Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Secretary Health Fawad Hassan Fawad and CM’s Advisor Saeed Mehdi.
Owing to YDA’s strike in Islamabad, the patients at two major government hospitals were suffering badly as 300 to 400 patients were being treated in Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) as compared to 4000 to 5000 on daily basis. The young doctors protested in front of the office of Executive Director Dr Mehmood Jamal On Thursday, burned the statuette of health secretary and demanded a revision of their service structure. PIMS spokesman Dr Waseem Khawaja told Pakistan Today the strike was affecting the poor and hoped it would soon come to an end.
