This is apropos of the news item about the strike of Young Doctors in Punjab and the deadlock in negotiations between the government and Young Doctors Association (June 27). It is very unfortunate that people from this respected profession are protesting for their demands. There is a close relation between rights and duties. Doctors must demand what is possible instead of simply putting forward a long list of “unrealistic demands”. They have already been provided certain incentives by Punjab Government last year.
The worst thing is that the medical superintendents of public sector hospitals have failed to safeguard the rights of poor patients coming from far-flung areas who were denied treatment in these public sector hospitals for the last 10 days or so.
I am of the considered opinion that government should treat all their employees in a similar manner across the board. Doctors are not the only professionals affected by inflation. Pharmacists, statistical officers, health educators, psychologists etc are equally affected. Why is the government then only looking to cut a deal with the doctors only?
These “young doctors” are playing into the hands of a few senior doctors who want to blackmail the government through these tactics. It is fact that this strike is putting the rights of vulnerable patients at stake. The medical profession is a noble service and the YDA should behave responsibly should make only just and reasonable demands. These health managers of public sector hospitals have failed to safeguard the rights of the common man. I believe that Medical Superintendents of public sector hospitals being doctor themselves have more sympathy for members of their fraternity rather than for the poor patients.
It is also my considered opinion that there can be no improvement in public sector hospitals unless we appoint non-doctors as head of the institutions. A majority of the doctors working at public hospitals also have private practices and some even go to private clinics during their official duty hours because there is no accountability of doctors in the country. Moreover, the government should solve the problems of other professionals of the health department besides doctors.
FAROOQ BASHIR BUTT
Lahore
