After the failure of talks between the protesting Young Doctor’s Association (YDA) and senior doctors on Sunday, both the young doctors and the Punjab government put forth their strategies for dealing with each other.
In a late night development, the young doctors put forth three demands before the government and said they would only resume their work if their demands are met, adding that if no decision is reached regarding their demands by July 5 they would besiege the Chief Minister House. Punjab government has however refused to accept any demand and has asked the doctors to report at their hospitals today (Monday) or prepare to face the music. Punjab Health Department officials said record of striking doctors was being collected and it would be sent to all the hiring agencies, while the doctors would be blacklisted.
According to the spokesman of Health Department, the records of young doctors on strike were also being sent to the British College of Physicians and Embassies. Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Health Khawaja Salman Rafiq has said all arrangements reopening the hospitals had been completed and as a last resort, the doctors could also be arrested. Salman said the young doctors would not be allowed to blackmail the Health Department.
DEMANDS:
1. Every medical officer should be appointed directly in grade-18.
2. They said the honorarium of a graduate should equal that of a medical officer.
3. Health Professional Allowance should equal basic income.
They also insisted on meeting the CM in person for getting assurance for the acceptance of their demands.
In a late night development, Punjab Police started arresting young doctors from their hostels from behind Services Hospital where they were to hold a meeting to make decisions in response to the deadline announced by the government, a private TV channel reported. The police also arrested multiple doctors while many managed to escape.
Over 30,000 patients suffering daily
Arround 30,000 patients are affected every day due to strike in Outdoor Patients Departments (OPDs) in public sector hospitals in Punjab on the call of Young Doctors Association (YDA). The Punjab Health Department sources said on Sunday that only in Mayo hospital, around 6,000 patients have been suffering due to the strike at OPDs by the young doctors. Scores of patients said, “We are not rich and we cannot afford private clinics.” PMA leaders and senior doctors have however asked the young doctors to adopt other strategies to get their demands accepted. In the strike held by young doctors in April last year, 120,000 patients had been affected. YDA leader Dr Salman Kazmi said five meetings had so far been held with the officials of Health Department but all had remained inconclusive. He said the Health Department officials were not serious. He vowed to continue strike at OPDs in all public sector hospitals of the Punjab.
Senior doctors to make another last ditch effort
Senior doctors are going to meet YDA today (Monday) Strike of Young Doctors is going on for the last 14 days while the senior doctors have started their efforts for interrupting the strike. Senior doctors including Professor Tariq Salah-ud-Din, Dr Javed Akram, Dr Faisal Masood will meet the representatives of the young doctors today in the General Hospital. No young doctors are serving in Multan and Faisalabad as yet, despite the warnings issued by the government of Punjab. The holidays of doctors were cancelled in Faisalabad’s government hospital but none of them is present on duty. The situation was no different in Victoria Hospital, Bahawalpur. On the other hand, the government of Punjab has made alternate arrangements for re-opening of Out Patient Department (OPD) in hospitals today (Monday).
Want a job? Promise you won’t strike
As the Punjab government is taking action against doctors on strike for causing inconvenience for the patients, the newly appointed doctors in Punjab will sign an affidavit for not going on strike in order to avoid the problem in future. Three clauses have been added in the new affidavit under which doctors will be bound to perform their duty at the place of their appointment. In the next clause it has been stated that the new doctors will not become part of any agitation while the last clause says that newly appointed doctors will sign an affidavit under which their services will be terminated if they take part in any kind of agitation during their duty time.
Army doctors start pouring in
On the other hand, the army doctors have started reaching in various areas’ hospitals of Punjab to begin serving helpless patients on Sunday.
Arrangements are being finalised to appoint at least 150 army doctors in different areas of Punjab while the military doctors have started reaching in different hospitals at various areas of the province.
The Punjab government has managed to recruit 454 new lady doctors so far and they will also report on Monday.