The committee constituted by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif could not finalise its report regarding the young doctors’ salaries issue and other demands within the time of two weeks, Pakistan Today has learnt.
The Young Doctors’ Association once again called their general body meeting on April 25 to take some serious steps against the irresponsible attitude of committee members and the Punjab government. The provincial government had constituted a special committee to resolve the issues of young doctors after their 38 days strike in public-sector hospitals of Punjab.
Millions of people suffered due to the strike called by young doctors and dozens of causalities occurred during the strike. Senior Advisor to the CM, Zulfiqar Khosa after several meetings with young doctors, arranged a meeting between Shahbaz and a young doctors’ delegation on April 7 and the CM constituted a special committee consisting of Punjab government spokesman Pervaiz Rashid, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, Zulifqar Khosa and others including Young Doctors’ Association office-bearers.
The special committee arranged two meetings and talked about five points presented by the young doctors. Doctors tried to convince them about increasing salaries, pay protection, proper security at working places, free medical treatment facility and regularisation of doctors. The committee could not finalise even a single point after discussion by both sides and it was decided that the committee would finalise demands of young doctors in its third and last meeting.
Due to engagement of two prominent members including Pervaiz Rashid and Rana Sanaullah, who accompanied the CM to China, the committee could not arrange its final meeting to finalise all demands of young doctors. The Young Doctors Association spokesman and one of the members of the special committee Dr Nasiz Abbad said that doctors had presented their demands in front of the committee in its first meeting but after passage of two weeks, the Punjab government is not showing sincerity and positive attitude.
“This particular attitude by official members shows that they only want to call-off the strike and not resolve the genuine issues faced by the doctors” he said.