The stubborn Punjab Young Doctors Association (YDA) continued its strike in all public hospitals across the province on Tuesday leaving thousands of poor patients at the mercy of fate while the government remained a mere onlooker.
It has been a week that the “stubborn” young doctors announced a strike against the transfer of their colleagues by the Health Department and the lack of a job structure. The government on its end is stick to the stance that the transfer of doctors is a routine matter and the YDA decision to suspend services to patients is unwanted, while dialogue should be held. However, no thaw has been achieved so far while the population of the most densely populated province remain without health services for a week.
“I came from Kasur for a dental check up at the dental hospital with my younger brother but were told after reaching here that the doctors are on a strike and services have been withdrawn from the hospital…the problem is already so bad and is getting worse…on the top of it all we do not know when to come back again…coming all the way for a treatment costs a lot of money…we don’t even know what to do or who will resolve the issue for the poor,” Rashida Bibi, at dental hospital, told Pakistan Today.
The situation is even worse in the far flung districts where the health facilities are poor even in normal circumstances. The government for once has taken action against a few doctors in Gujrat but later released them fearing the political fall back. YDA office bearers condemned the arrests saying it will further worsen the situation if the government resorts to “such tactics”. YDA spokesperson further said no negotiations with the government had taken place and the strike will continue. Neither CM’s Assistant on Health Khwaja Salmaan Rafique nor Health Secretary Captain (r) Arif Nadeem were available for comments.
Separately, talking to the reporters, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif made an appeal to the doctors to call off their strike and assume their responsibilities. He asked the people to appeal to the doctors to end their strike and pay attention to the ailing humanity.
These pathetic young doctors are good for nothing any way. A product of cash hungry medical colleges.
These young doctors should be burned alive…..
Both the young doctors and our arrogant civil bureaucracy is at fault for creating this mess. The Doctors have a right to ask for special pay package and service structure, while the Punjab Govt has an obligation to transfer these doctors to hospitals located in every part of the province. The civil bureucrats should start behaving and show respect to doctors and other professionals and it would be better if they are disassociated with policy making structure. Let the Health Sec be a senior doctor instead of an arrogant bureaucrat.
When PPP came into power way back in Dec.1971; the first two strikers were police and doctors. Mr.Ghulam Mustafa Khar Governor Punjab handled those strikes very diligently. Time has come to follow that example to save the suffering humanity from doctors' callousness. Begging won't serve any more.
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