Young doctors take to the streets despite LHC orders

Punjab’s problems seem to be escalating exponentially. From unscheduled load shedding to the most pervasive and the longest drawn Young Doctors Association’s (YDA) protests yet.
The past few months witnessed a deep conflict between the government and the young doctors. Very little was communicated regarding the health structure proposed by each party. The ethics of doctors, who boycotted OPDs, and put lives at stake, was questioned and debated profusely. The Punjab government aired a campaign against the strike worth Rs 40 million, and used army doctors to pressurize the ‘rogue’ doctors.
Following a crackdown by the Punjab Police on July 1, on the doctors, and court orders asking YDA to call off the strike, it seemed as if peace in the wards was finally restored. Punjab government and representatives of YDA held meetings to address the core issue of framing a service structure for doctors.
These talks however failed to reach an amicable end, and on Monday the Lahore High Court (LHC) warned YDA against going on strike or launching an agitation once again to press their demands for service structure and one-step promotion. Additional Advocate General Faisal Zaman had informed LHC that the government and YDA had agreed on 42 out of 45 points on the agenda, and the issues of one step promotion and direct appointment in BS-18 were not viable because it was not par with doctors working in other provinces. LHC warned YDA not to launch a protest and asked for meeting minutes discussed between government functionaries and the doctors.
Despite court orders YDA announced its decision to carry out a mass protest and sit-in on Wednesday, insisting that it would be peaceful despite possible traffic jams. Mass protests and rallies were carried out in all major cities in Punjab, including Rawalpindi, Faislabad, Multan and Lahore on Wednesday.
The ordeal was twice as hard for Lahore as Monsoon showers persisted throughout the day, flooding several areas in the city. YDA conducted its protest on the generally traffic congested Jail Road, blocking it for several hours, leaving commuters standing in the rain.
An erstwhile general feel of sympathy with YDA seemed to trickle down with the rain for all those stuck in the traffic jam for three hours.
An irate motorcyclist, Hussain Aleem said, “I’ve been standing in the rain for half an hour now, how are any of their issues my fault?”
A father on his way to pick his children up from school was worried, “I hope this clears out soon or I’m going to give these doctors a piece of my mind.”
Some stranded travelers however lauded the doctors’ determination. “It’s raining so hard and yet they’re protesting,” said Mrs. Saima Naveed, “it’s high time the government solved their problems.” The cacophony of cars, buses and motorcycles persisted for several hours irking passengers and commuters during school rush hours, while rain poured down mercilessly. While protests and sit-ins are a civil liberty indeed, inconveniencing citizens, like in the protests today, are never welcome. There was a general feeling of irritation with the whole situation that has been dragged a long time at the expense of the common man. It is perhaps time the government stepped up and resolved YDA’s concerns once and for all. In Multan, YDA held a protest demonstration in front of Nishtar Institute of Dentistry (NID) to press their demand for service structure. The rally was held from Nishtar Medical Institute (NMI) to Nishtar Institute of Dentistry (NID).
YDA General Secretary Dr Jehangir Riaz said that it was a peaceful protest and operations in different public hospitals were underway during the protest. He added that only those doctors who had evening and night duties had participated in the protest. Jehangir said that the protest rally was joined by young doctors from the Children Complex and Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi Institute of Cardiology (CPEIC) alongside doctors of NID. He said that YDA would announce its future strategy after its next general council meeting.
Sit-ins outside Benazir Bhutto Hospital in Rawalpindi and Allied Hospital in Faisalabad were organized. Protesters blocked the roads and insisted that the doctors in the hospital weren’t shirking duties. However patients and emergency cases suffered due to the massive traffic jams.