LAHORE - The Young Doctors Association staged protests in major cities including Lahore yesterday against central induction policy for PG trainees.
Young doctors come out on leading roads and staged sit-ins that continued for hours, causing massive traffic jams at peak hours.
Doctors stayed away from duties for participation in the rallies that hampered service delivery and caused cancellation of hundreds of scheduled and emergency surgeries.
In Lahore, young doctors staged demonstrations on the busiest roads - The Mall, Jail Road, Ferozepur Road, Ravi Road and Canal Bank Road at peak hours. The doctors from Punjab Institute of Cardiology and Services Hospital staged demonstration on Jail Road. Doctors from the Children’s Hospital and Lahore General Hospital blocked Ferozepur Road.
Doctors from Mayo Hospital and Sir Ganga Ram Hospital staged a protest on The Mall. Doctors from Dental Hospital blocked Ravi Road and those from Jinnah Hospital and Sheikh Zayed Hospital the Canal Bank Road. Blockage of major roads at peak hours caused massive traffic jam in the heart of the City.
Carrying placards and banners inscribed with the demand of withdrawal of new induction policy for PG trainees, protesters chanted slogans against health bureaucracy.
The patients were the ultimate sufferers of unannounced strike at hospitals and roadside protests. Hundreds of patients had to return as they could not get access to hospitals due to massive traffic jam. Those who managed to enter the hospitals faced the same fate due to absence of doctors at OPDs.
YDA Punjab President Dr Ajmal Chaudhry held the health bureaucracy responsible for the prevailing situation. He said that the cruel central induction policy was aimed at usurping the rights of young doctors. “Doctors from across the province have rejected this policy. YDA will go to any extent for protecting rights of the medical community. We will continue struggle till withdrawal of the new policy”, he said.
“We support the previous on-merit inductions performed by the head of institutions and local committees”, he said.