The Young Doctors Association (YDA) on Saturday called off its strike and resumed services in all hospitals. Addressing a press conference, YDA offices-bearers Dr Amir and Dr Nasir Abbas announced the decision to end the strike late Friday night.
The doctors resumed their duties early Saturday morning.
The YDA office-bearers said that cases should be registered against those who were involved in the assault on the medical superintendent and senior doctors in Gujranwala.
They gave six days to the government for acceptance of their demands regarding service structure which they said has not been announced.
The association also warned that it would launch a protest across Punjab if their demands were not met.
While the young doctors were on strike, patients continued to suffer in their absence. Once the services were resumed, patients thronged to hospitals in large numbers.
YDA went on strike when doctors including YDA Gujranwala President Dr Kashif Bilal were arrested for torturing Dr Anwar Aman, medical superintendent (MS) of Gujranwala District Headquarters Hospital. The arrested people had also ransacked office of the MS.
Following the incident, the protesting doctors closed OPDs of all government hospitals in the city, including Mayo Hospital, Services Hospital, Ganga Ram Hospital, Jinnah Hospital, Mian Munshi Hospital, Nawaz Sharif Hospital and General Hospital.
Those doctors who have been arrested in Gujrawnwala must be prosecuted. In the mean time if they are released on bail, they must not be allowed to come back to their post with health dept of Punjab. Their license to practice medicine stands terminated till court decides their criminal cases. They should not be given monthly paycheck in the mean time.
In the mean time, regarding next ultimatum by YDA, regarding change of service structure, No service changes should be brought in. Let these doctors resign from their post.If they do not resign, govt has the option not to renew their contract and let them go. Govt can always find new and younger doctors. Actually Govt from now on ward should give contract to each doctor for two or three yrs and this contract can be renewed with the consent of both party. If any party does not want to renew it ,they can give 60 or 90 day notice. This way no love is lost. Both parties are committed for the duration of the contract.
Actually a clause can be added ,where both parties can give notice to nullify the contract ,say with 90 days notice. This kind of clause will eliminate future strike.
Govt will not be committed to providing life long job and retirement benefits.
For the time being, all those doctors who went on strike, must not be paid for this month as a punishment and if these doctors do not like it , let them resign. If they do not, govt can let them go. We do not need these kind of doctors. We can find better doctors.
We as poor people of Pakistan will go thru rough patch but finally we will be able to come out better and stronger. God help those who help themselves.let us start this new journey. There are no guarenttes in life. We will have to take risk.
Following is my disclaimer. I am not member of any political party. I wrote down these few lines from the point of view of those poor pts who came to govt hosp to be seen by these striking doctors.
This is for administration of Pakistan Today.I do not know the contact in Punjab health dept. Is there any way they could send this comment of mine to concerned authorities in Punjab health dept. Thanks
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