Rawalpindi-The doctors on Tuesday left seeing patients in three teaching hospitals as part of protest against Anti-Corruption Establishment for torturing a doctor at Services Hospital in Lahore.
The protest call was given by Young Doctors Association. The doctors did not attend patients at OPDs of Holy Family Hospital (HFH), Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) and District Headquarter Hospital (DHQ) creating problems for the patients particularly with cases of gynaecology and paediatric wards.
The OPDs remained opened from 8am to 2pm but the young doctors remained absent from the departments. The strike put extra burden on senior doctors attending patients at the OPDs of the allied hospitals.
The senior doctors attended patients mostly at gynaecology and paediatric wards of the allied hospitals. The patients at other wards such as ENT, eyes, medical and orthopaedic suffered the most in absence of the doctors. Safeena Naz, a female patient, told media she came from Chontra for medical check up but here no doctor was present to examine her. She said that she was suffering with abdominal problem.
“I came from Azad Kashmir to have my check up in BBH. I spent a night at house of my relatives in Rawalpindi. I have kidney problem. I will come again on Wednesday, as there were no doctors in the hospital”, said Sardar Wasif.
The situation was much different at the HFH and DHQ as patients had to return, as doctors did not entertain them at the OPD.
Talking to media men, YDA representative in HFH said that they observed strike against the alleged torture of Dr Atif Majeed, senior vice president of YDA, at Services Hospital by staff of ACE. He said that other doctors rescued Dr Atif as the men wanted to arrest him for alleged charges of corruption.
He noted that the Punjab health department was not in knowledge of any charges against Dr Atif and denied that the ACE contacted the hospital administration for arrest of Dr Atif.