LAHORE - The Young Doctors Association (YDA) continued strike at Out Patients Departments (OPDs) and wards of hospitals across the province on Monday, multiplying miseries of the ailing humanity.
Besides hampering service delivery at OPDs and Indoors, the YDA strike caused cancellation of hundreds of scheduled surgeries at teaching hospitals in the province.
The Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education (SH&ME) Department continued action against protesting doctors and recruitment against vacant slots for restoring normalcy at tertiary care hospitals, especially in Lahore.
The department has so far terminated 76 protesting doctors and handed over services of half a dozen healthcare providers to Primary and Secondary Health Department.
Infuriated by termination of colleagues and recruitment against vacant slots, YDA has given 72-hour ultimatum for resolving the issue. The Association has threatened closing Emergency after the deadline.
SH&ME has started recruitment of medical officers (MOs) and women medical officers (WMOs) through walk-in interviews. The department has given an advertisement for induction of PG trainees.
Punjab Postgraduate Admission Committee has announced availability of slots in various postgraduate medical courses under Punjab Residency Program (PRP).
The eligible candidates can apply through online registration system. Moreover, for FCPS Part II training, forms are available at University of Health Sciences (UHS) Lahore till Tuesday, August 8. The last date of submission of forms at the College of Physicians & Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP) is Wednesday August 9.
Although the management kept OPDs open with the help of faculty members and seniors, the number of healthcare providers was too little to cater to the needs of a big number of patients.
Mayo Hospital, Lady Aitcheson Hospital, Lady Wellingdon Hospital and Dental Hospital worked normally like the previous six days. The situation also improved at the Lahore General Hospital. Services Hospital, Punjab Institute of Cardiology and Jinnah Hospital were worst hit by the strike.
Trangender people also held a demonstration outside OPD of Jinnah Hospital to protest YDA’s denial of treating one of their colleagues. The protesting eunuchs chanted slogans against young doctors. The hospital management offered juices to protesting eunuchs. YDA blamed the administration of engineering the protest to malign their association.
Patients and their attendants held the government responsible for the situation. They urged the government to end the issue once and for all by giving exemplary punishment to habitual protesters.
Pakistan Medical Association (Centre) has demanded resolving the issue amicably for restoring normalcy at teaching hospitals.