The OPDs of all public hospitals across the provincial metropolitan remained shut on Thursday owing to the strike call given by Punjab Young Doctors’ Association.
Thousands of poor patients from the far flung districts of the province had to return disappointed owing to the strike given by the young doctors. “My mother has developed a strange tumour and we really wanted to get her checked up by a senior professor or a specialist but after such a long journey from Khanewal, we came to know that the OPDs are not working and no senior is available to see the patients…all our travelling expenses for today have gone to waste and the young doctors are telling us that the government is doing it,” Muhammad Sarwar, an attendant at Mayo Hospital said.
YDA General Secretary Dr Salman Kazmi said it was because of the unjust behaviour of the Health Department officials who took bribes for every task from transfer and promotion to issuing small certificates. He further said from the next week the strike will expand to the entire province if the government did not take back the decision. YDA Spokesperson Dr Nasir further said the strike had been successful and it was against unjust transfer of medical officers without issuing a policy as was done previously by former health secretary Fawad Hassan Fawad.
Separately, teachers’ representative bodies also staged protest against the enforcement of time scale, up-gradation and change in curriculum. Hundreds of teachers held a protest rally from Nasir Bagh to Civil Secretariat on the call of Muthida Mahaz Asatiza. Teachers were holding placards and banners inscribed with slogans against the government. They demand of the government to give them pay scales equivalent to federal government teachers, to not to enforce English medium curriculum in public school and to not to remove the Islamic content from curriculum.
They also demanded of the government to regularise their services. Addressing the gathering, teachers’ leaders said that the government had converted all public schools to English medium so the government officials should be bound to send their children to public schools. Teachers warned that if their demands were not met, teachers would be compelled to besiege the Chief Minister House. Teacher leader Hafiz Abdul Mannan announced that teachers would observe hunger strike in front of Punjab Assembly from May 8-11 and on May 17, teachers would hold a rally in Islamabad and give sit-in in front of Parliament House.
