- JPMC assures YDA to help withdraw FIR lodged against doctor by patient
KARACHI: The Young Doctors Association (YDA) in Sindh postponed its strike and resumed duties on Wednesday after assurances were made by the management of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC).
The representatives of the YDA held a meeting with the Executive Director of JPMC Dr Seemin Jamali to resolve their issues. The young doctors presented a charter of demands to the JPMC administration and Dr Seemin Jamali assured them that the genuine demands would be accepted as per law.
After assurances made by the hospital management, the young doctors postponed their demonstration and went back to performing duties. The doctors ended their protest and resumed duties while the outpatient departments (OPDs) services will now be opened for public as per schedule on Thursday.
Earlier, the OPD services in Jinnah hospital has remained suspended for a second consecutive day from 9 am to 12 pm as Young Doctors Association (YDA) Sindh has observed complete strike in hospital.
A score of patients faced problems as the young doctors forcibly closed the OPDs and some other departments of the hospital in protest against the registration of an FIR against a colleague who had allegedly assaulted a patient in the emergency department a few days ago.
Saddar police have registered a case against Dr Usman Zafar over charges of torturing a patient after he complained of delay in treatment. When the police went to the hospital to arrest the doctor, his colleagues allegedly misbehaved and created hurdles in the arrest, according to the police sources.
Sindh YDA Chairman Dr Omer Sultan said that a complete boycott was observed at the JPMC over lodging FIR against a doctor by the patient’s attendants but the doctors had now ended their protest over assurances from the JPMC administration.
JPMC’s admin member Jamali confirmed to media that the young doctors had ended their protest after negotiation. She said the JPMC administration was ready to assist the young doctors for withdrawal of FIR.
She said that the demonstration of doctors caused problems for the poor patients who cannot afford treatment at the private hospitals and clinics.
