Lahore – Young doctors on Tuesday brought the city traffic to a standstill when they blocked main roads afters suspending indoor and outdoor facilities at all major hospitals in protest, causing a lot of inconvenience to commuters and patients alike.
The Young Doctors’ Association Punjab (YDAP) had given a strike call in 13 teaching hospitals across Punjab including all teaching hospitals across the provincial metropolis, demanding a special pay package for young doctors from the Punjab government.
Doctors, under the banner of YDAP, after shutting outdoor and indoor facilities at all major hospitals, took out rallies and blocked major arteries near hospitals for several hours. They were holding banners and placards inscribed with their demands for a pay raise. Young doctors from the Mayo Hospital, Services Hospital, Jinnah Hospital, Children’s Hospital and Lahore General Hospital blocked the Mall Road, Jail Road, Canal Bank Road and Ferozepur Road during peak hours.
Patients coming from far-flung areas had to face a lot of trouble due to the strike and all of them returned “disappointed”. Amjad Ali, who had brought his elderly mother for check-up at the Services Hospital said, “It is already very difficult for us to bring her [mother] to the hospital on a motorbike. I had taken a female cousin along to hold her on the bike and it was so disappointing to see that all facilities are suspended. We cannot even take her to another hospital, as we have been told that doctors have suspended facilities in all big hospitals. Whatever their demands are, poor patients should not suffer at least.”
Commuters remained stuck for hours except on the Canal Road and could not even take to slip lanes while patients and ambulances were seen caught in the traffic. Commuters were seen irritated by the unethical move of the doctors, who were also seen caught in a brawl with commuters, as they tried to slip though the protest after waiting for hours patiently. “It’s been more than an hour and I’m still stuck on the same road”, banker Iqra Ragheib said addin
If doctors had certain demands they should have gathered at one point instead of halting the entire city and making people suffer.” Ahsan Manzoor, who was also stuck in the same traffic jam, said that it took him nearly two hours to reach the Jail Road from the Canal View Society, as half of the city was in a mess. “Such kind of behaviour is least expected from such a literate community as doctors are. There are many ambulances stuck in the jam and people have important tasks to perform, doctors should reconsider their decision,” he added.
Talking to Pakistan Today, YDA Punjab President Dr Hamid Butt said, “We also understand that patients suffer due to a strike but the Punjab government should understand our woes as well, if so many young doctors from across Punjab have taken to streets, there must be a reason for it. We have been demanding a special pay package for young doctors for a long time now, but have received nothing except bureaucratic delays.”
He said that young doctors demand a minimum Rs 70,000 pay per month. “The OPD will remain closed in hospitals from tomorrow for an indefinite period of time, while a similar protest with increased intensity will be launched next Tuesday in case the Punjab government does not meet our demands,” he threatened. Hamid further said, “Now we are not going to have more dialogue with the government. We need the notification of our pay raise.”
Punjab Health Secretary Fawad Hassan Fawad speaking to Pakistan Today remarked, “This is no way to get their case heard. Stopping traffic hurts those who have no power to solve their issues. The doctors should realise this is not an issue that can be addressed over night.” He further said, “the Chief Minister has already declared his intent to revise the salaries of doctors in all cadres. The doctors have already had several meetings with the Chief Secretary, Health Secretary and the Finance Secretary on the same issue. The Punjab government is already itself facing a deep financial crisis.”
On the government’s future course of action, Fawad said, “the government shall continue dialogue with the protesting staff. Other options such as administrative action are available to the government but the government is patient and does not want to take action against these young doctors who are our country’s assets. They are being misled by ‘unscrupulous elements’. The government has already been in dialogue with them and shall try to resolve the issue through dialogue.
