Employees of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Health Department, especially doctors, have raised hue and cry over the issue of service structure and demand that the KP government accept their proposals.
A few days ago, the Provincial Doctors Association (PDA) had issued a charter of demand which particularly included the demand for a service structure for doctors. In response, KP Health Minister Shaukat Ali Yousafzai had invited the PDA office bearers for dialogue. Upon conclusion of the dialogue, the health minister had announced that all demands of the doctors were accepted in principle and efforts would be initiated for implementation of the proposals.
However, PDA office bearers have rejected the health minister’s claim. Alleging that the provincial government showed reluctance to accept their demands, the PDA gave the call for doctors to go on strike in all leading hospitals of Peshawar.
Meanwhile, the KP government has announced removal of chief executives of two health institutions of Peshawar and one health institute in Abbottabad. The Mardan Medical Complex chief executive has also been suspended by the KP health minister during a surprise visit to the medical institute.
However, Lady Reading Hospital chief executive still remains in office, allegedly on having links with a political party of the ruling coalition. The suspended chief executives are considered amongst well-reputed doctors and their removal has created unrest amongst the doctor community.
Earlier, KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak had also made a surprise visit to Mufti Mahmood Memorial Hospital, also known as Divisional Headquarter Hospital.
During the CM’s visit, KP Revenue Minister Ali Amin Gandhapur and doctors exchanged hot words, following which the doctors refused to talk to the CM in the presence of the revenue minister and forced the minister to leave the hospital.
Khattak had told the doctors, “I am an elected representative of the people and raiding hospitals and police stations is in accordance with the wishes of the common people,” adding that he did not wish to scare the doctors by conducting surprise visits to hospitals and his aim was to merely ensure due health coverage to the people and to resolve the problems faced by the common man.
The situation in Swat hospitals is already tense due to the alarming rise in dengue cases. More than 8,000 people throughout the valley have been affected by the dengue virus and the death toll from the disease has reached 28. Around 400 dengue patients have been admitted to Saidu Sharif Group of Hospitals and other health centers throughout Swat. People are criticising the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government for lack of proper care facilities for the patients.
Meanwhile, the KP health minister visited the Lady Reading Hospital Out-Patient Department (OPD) on Wednesday and tried to convince the doctors to call off their strike, saying there was no justification for the doctors to go on strike as the government had already accepted their demands. However, the doctors have refused to call off the strike.