- Patients suffer as doctors in Punjab boycott OPDs for attack on colleagues
Doctors across Punjab and Islamabad on Monday boycotted all the Outdoor Patient Departments (OPDs) against target killing and attack on doctors in Sahiwal and Islamabad respectively.
On the call of Young Doctors Association (YDA), doctors and paramedical staff of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) staged a protest against target killings and attacks on their companions while leaving their work symbolically.
Doctors of Poly Clinic, Islamabad also joined their colleagues of PIMS symbolically in the strike.
The protestors also blocked the road for traffic and demanded the government to ensure the safety of the doctors and nabbing the culprits in 24 hours.
Moreover, they also appealed to send Dr Shahid Nawaz abroad for medical treatment and to provide fool-proof security to the hospital.
Addressing the protesters, speakers demanded the government to immediate arrest those who are behind the attack on Dr Shahid and ensure proper security to doctors working with the hospital.
They said that the concerned quarters should ensure making peaceful working atmosphere for medical staff at hospitals as doctors are those who safe precious lives daily but now their lives are on threat.
Seniors doctors Dr Khaliq-ul-Zaman and Dr Wasim Khawaja and representatives of Young Doctors Association (YDA), Dr Asfandyar and Dr Farooq spoke on the occasion.
On the call of YDA, doctors across Punjab abstained from their duty and did not attend the OPDs to register their protest. They said that the shutdown of the OPDs will be carried on regular basis until the detention of the attackers.
Meanwhile, patients who visited government run hospitals in Lahore, Rawalpindi and other cities suffered a great deal as they could not get themselves checked for different types of ailments. Many poor patients returned to their homes while those who could afford get themselves checked at the private clinics and hospitals.
