Young doctors throw tantrum, again

With the announcements of transfer of scores of young doctors from hospitals across Punjab, Punjab Young Doctors’ Association announced strike in Services Hospital yet again on Wednesday.
Thousands of poor patients returned disappointed and disgruntled when the young doctors completely shut the outpatient department (OPD), while also partially closing the indoor services including the operation theatre for two hours. This caused a lot of inconvenience to patients in a critical condition while also resulted in delays in important surgeries. The stakeholders severely criticised the decision of the young doctors to withdraw services from the hospital right after the government decision to transfer doctors. They said the young doctors were taking undue advantage benefit of a democratic government and was using it as a government weakness.
Punjab YDA President Dr Hamid Butt in a media briefing said the strike will be very “intense” at Services Hospital where within the next 24 or 48 hours even the emergency will be shut down if the government did not take back the transfer orders.
Chief Minister’s Special Assistant on Health Khwaja Salman Rafique criticised the strike and the doctors’ attitude of holding strike on every minor affair. “The doctors are exploiting a democratic government’s attitude as a weakness and not realising no one came out during the dictatorial regime of former president Pervaiz Musharraf…the room for dialogue should always be open and such decisions should only come as a last resort…there is room for human error and if the secretary health has done something wrong the government is ready to sit with doctors and address their grievances,” he added.
YDA Spokesperson Dr Nasir further said the health secretary has taken the decision in order to malign the young doctors and break their unity. He said the YDA had been in talks with the secretary about demands of a job structure along with other demands while the Health Department had issued a massive transfer of doctors across Punjab to halt the move. “Around 450 medical officers have been transferred which comprise the second and third line of the YDA,” he said adding that the General Council of Lahore was going to meet and most probably announce a strike across the provincial metropolitan hospitals, while the provincial general council will meet on Friday.