Pak Army medics fill in for defiant ‘messiahs’

LAHORE – In the ongoing battle between the young doctors and the Punjab government, the latter has acquired the services of 150 doctors from Army Medical Corps.

Besides, the government, determined to cut the agitating doctors to size, has issued recruitment notification of 454 women medical officers (WMOs) through the Punjab public service commission (PPSC) and posted them to different hospitals of the province to ensure uninterrupted delivery of medical care.

But the young doctors are still insistent on continuation of their strike till the acceptance of their demands regarding the service structure. The young doctors are also planning to besiege the Chief Minister Secretariat on July 5, if their demands would not be met.

In an encouraging development, Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif accepted a mediation offer of a team of senior medical professionals before going for a final crackdown against the young doctors.

The team of senior doctors, including principals and administrative heads of different medical teaching institutions, met the CM Saturday promising to convince the young doctors to call off their strike within 24 hours. They will hold talks with the young doctors on Sunday (today) at Lahore General Hospital in a bid to end the deadlock so as to mitigate the miseries of the poor patients, who are the prime losers in this battle.

However, the government is considering cancelling the licenses of the striking doctors if they continue their strike. The health department claims some of the striking doctors have contacted them and expressed willingness to get back to work. Nonetheless, the rumours of show-cause notices and arrests of the leaders of YDA (Young Doctors Association), Punjab, proved false as none of them was either served with notice or arrested.

The Punjab government Thursday night had invoked the Essential Services Act for a period of one month in a bid to ensure uninterrupted healthcare to the poor patients. However the young doctors blatantly ignoring the warning continued their protest and boycott and denied healthcare facilities to poor patients.

The young doctors’ strike in the outdoor wards, being observed on the call of YDA Punjab chapter, entered into 13th successive day to protest against government’s ‘indifference’ toward their demand of service structure, causing immense hardships for patients and their attendants. The load of patients has increased at the emergency wards. The OPD strike is affecting the healthcare services at the indoor wards as well as Operation Theatres (OTs).

The patients at various public sector hospitals, especially at Mayo Hospital, protested against the striking young doctors saying they, who are believed to be the saviours, were bargaining against their lives. They said the strike has left the poor patients either to simply die unattended or be fleeced at private hospitals. According to unofficial figures, over 29,000 patients visit OPDs at public hospitals in the provincial metropolis alone who are being denied healthcare for the 14th consecutive day.

The provincial government has notified the administrative offices of principals of medical colleges; medical superintendents of teaching hospitals; and all the offices of DHS and EDO (Health) in Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan, DG Khan, Rawalpindi and Bahawalpur to keep open on Sunday (today). It has also directed the senior professors and doctors to provide healthcare services to the patients in the hospitals.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), in a statement issued Saturday, said: “On the request of the Punjab government to requisition doctors in aid of patients because of ongoing strike of doctors, Pakistan Army is providing 150 doctors, for medical treatment of patients in view of their extreme suffering. These doctors will perform their duties in uniform... The military doctors will only provide medical consultancy, while administrations of hospitals will continue to be the responsibility of the provincial government.”

However, despite all the hardness of stances on both sides, many among the senior doctors strongly believe they would succeed in ending the strike in today’s meeting with the young doctors, lifting the veil of emergency from the public sector hospitals

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