Sick of the ‘stubborn’ attitude of the young doctors, the patients and their relatives held a protest demonstration against the treatment that was being meted out to them while to meet the shortage of doctors, Punjab government has successfully sought the Army’s help and will be provided with 150 doctors.
“We have been coming to the hospitals for the past 12 days. There are no doctors and the heat is unbearable. We have to pay the fare too. We will not tolerate this injustice,” said Shamshad bibi at the Mayo Hospital Outdoor Patients Department.
The patients said that the government had failed to tackle the issue as the doctors were still on strike.
Protests were held in front of medical superintendent offices in several public hospitals and the patients raised slogans against the government and the doctors.
They said the doctors, who are considered ‘Massiah’ for the poor people, had left the patients untreated for their personal interests. Nowhere in the world doctors leave patients for their own interests, they added. They demanded the government cancel the degrees of the doctors, as they were not sincere with their profession.
Paramedics of teaching hospitals said outdoor patients were being examined in emergency. Irshad Ahmed, father of a patient, Tayyaba, said doctors at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital misbehaved with them when they showed them a “chief minister’s free medical treatment directive.”
Meanwhile on Saturday, the Punjab government reached a dramatic decision to sack all the doctors on strike. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif came up with the idea of asking the Army for help. The Army has announced that it will give 150 of its doctors to the provincial government.
The Army doctors, who will work in public hospitals, will perform their duties starting Sunday.
The Army doctors will not bear the responsibility of the operational matters and that would be dealt with by the provincial government.
The government is also considering canceling the licenses of the striking doctors. It has been learnt that the government has decided not to bow to the striking doctors’ demands.
YOUNG DOCTORS REMAIN UNMOVED:
Meanwhile the Young Doctors’ Association said no matter what the government does, the strike would continue till their demands were not met.
The doctors have demanded an improvement in the service structure after their salaries were raised last year. They have also demanded their recruitment directly into Basic Pay Scale (BPS-18) besides facilities including house, telephone, five advance increments, two special allowances for professors – teaching allowance and health professional allowance – both equal to their running basic salary.
They also demanded soft loans for cars for BPS-18 doctors, 1,000cc cars with petrol and driver for BPS-20 and 1,300cc vehicles for all doctors in BPS-21 with driver and petrol.
“The entire country is financially troubled. We know that the doctors are making money in their private clinics also. We do not have enough money to pay for the doctors’ greed,” Special Assistant to the Punjab Chief Minister for Health Khawaja Salman Rafique said, adding “Where do we get the additional Rs17 billion from?”
Earlier on Thursday, the Punjab government had also invoked the Essential Services Act of 1958 for Health Department employees. Under the act, the doctors are bound to be present at the place of duty and any violation is considered a crime.
454 brand new female medical officers hired
Punjab government has appointed 454 medical officers in various hospitals of Punjab, the spokesperson for Punjab Health Department said on Saturday.
The spokesperson said the women medical officers have been selected through Public Service Commission and the posting plan of these female medical officers has been uploaded at the website of Health Department.
The spokesperson advised the successful medical officers to report to the medical superintendents of their respective hospitals by July 2.
Dictator Shahbaz should loosen his pockets, says Raja Riaz
Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Raja Riaz Ahmed has said that imposition of Section 144 and jail threats to doctors of the province reveals the dictatorial approach of Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif.
Talking to reporters outside Governor House on Saturday, Raja Riaz said that Shahbaz should avoid stubbornness against the protesting doctors.
“Doctors and medical staff are asset of the province so the CM should bow down to their will,” he said, adding that dialogue was the best way to resolve the issue.
He said that it was the constitutional right of every countryman to raise voice for his/her rights and there was no justification for use of force to suppress their voice.
He blamed that the provincial government used various institutions to defame the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the federal government but the conspiracies proved counterproductive.
Raja Riaz also demanded for early decision of the case regarding dual offices of Shahbaz Sharif and Asghar Khan case.
Punjab govt needs to take courses in management: PTI
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Central Information Secretary Shafqat Mahmood said Punjab is observing the results of the provincial government’s paralysis in decision-making that has led to a stalemate between the government and the young doctors.
In a statement issued on Saturday, he said the provincial government had completely mishandled the situation, resulting in the strike entering its second week with no end in sight.
The mismanagement of the government has affected both the patients who lie in wait for medical assistance and the doctors.
The abject misery of the patients who require the doctors’ assistance is heartrending, said Shafqat.
He added that the present stand-off needs to be addressed and decisions made to end this conflict so that the public can be provided medical care otherwise the onus will clearly be on the Punjab government.
