Senior doctors at Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) have announced the closure of all departments at the hospital other than the Emergency ward, and have demanded that arrested young doctors be released immediately.
Speaking during a press conference on Tuesday, Medical Teachers Association (MTA) President at PIC, Dr Ijaz Ahsan said that senior doctors were withdrawing their services from all departments, including the Outpatient Department (OPDs) and Indoor Departments.
“Young Doctors are the backbone of our system. All arrested young doctors, particularly young doctors of PIC should be released immediately,” said Ahsan.
He said doctors currently deputed at PIC are untrained and could not handle heart patients. “It takes a doctor 10 years to do FCPS and then another five-year’s training to become a cardiologist. How could you expect new doctors to come and replace those who have already completed their training?”
Ahsan said only two doctors were present in the Emergency ward at PIC Monday night, adding that they had been “abused and threatened” by the attendants as they had been unable to handle the situation.
“Senior doctors are in their 50s and cannot do rigorous work for 24 hours. That is why we are demanding that our doctors should be released immediately,” Ahsan maintained.
He said the government was beguiling patients and the media by showing that they had deployed doctors at all hospitals.
Young Doctors Association (YDA) office bearer of PIC Dr Sami Ijaz said that there had been no problems at the Emergency during the young doctor’s strike as most OPD patients had been treated there. He said by conducting raids and arresting doctors the government had forced them to boycott and withdraw their services from the Emergency and Indoor as well.
Representatives of the Paramedical Alliance of PIC and Young Nurses Association (YNA) also supported the MTA and announced that they will stop working at PIC.
PIC Lahore is a specialised hospital where heart patients come from across the country for treatment.
Senior doctors withdraw services from PIC
