LAHORE - Young Doctors Association will block four major roads in Lahore for three and half an hour on Tuesday (today) to press for the demand of implementation of agreed service structure, promotion of doctors, payment of salaries to all PG trainees and early completion of ongoing development projects at government hospitals.
The protest, announced by YDA leadership about 10 days back, would continue for three weeks to convey a strong message to the government. Doctors from eight hospitals will block four points in Lahore from 10:30 am to 2:00 pm.
YDA spokesman Dr Amer Bandesha said that doctors from Jinnah Hospital and Sheikh Zayed Hospital would block Canal Bank Road and those from Mayo Hospital and Sir Ganga Ram Hospital would protest on The Mall.
“Ferozepur Road will be blocked by doctors from Lahore General Hospital and Children’s Hospital. Doctors from Services Hospital and Punjab Institute of Cardiology will block Ferozepur Road,” he said.
He said that the protest would continue for three weeks or until fulfillment of the demands. He said that the government had agreed to a 52-point draft agreement on November 7, 2012. It had agreed to promote 4,000 doctors to the 18th grade. However, this has not happened so far, he said.
Over 1200 PG trainees were working in the province without getting salaries, he said adding the Health Department has also stopped payment to another 300 PG trainees drawing salaries from districts.
The announcement by the government to create new posts for doctors would not change the situation, he insisted and added the issue of service structure and promotions could not be resolved by just creating new posts.