RAWALPINDI - Rawalpindi Medical College (RMC) and Allied Hospitals (AHs) Chief, Dr Musadiq Khan, has said that situation in three teaching hospitals was improving swiftly as the doctors, including Pakistan Army doctors, were examining patients in OPDs and Emergency Departments.
Dr Musadiq Khan said this while talking to TheNation on Tuesday. He said that more than 30 young doctors rejoined their duties in Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) and they had been provided police protection due to threats of the YDA leadership. He said that a total of over 166 doctors arrived to perform their duties in three hospitals from different parts of the province.
On the other hand, a large number of young doctors have started rejoining their duties in AHs.
MS BBH Dr Asif Qadir Mir, while talking to TheNation, said that at least 30 to 40 young doctors resumed their duties in various departments and seeing the patients. He said that doctors are still scared of possible threat from YDA.
MS DHQ Dr Sher Ali Khan Niazi said that 57 doctors joined their duties including six were young doctors of the same hospital, 26 demonstrators of RMC, eight newly recruited by Punjab Public Service Commission, Four from Chakwal, eight from local dispensaries and five doctors Pakistan Army.
HFH Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Fayyaz Ahmed said that 53 doctors joined their duties including 20 demonstrators of RMC, five army doctors and 17 newly recruited by Punjab Public Service Commission.
A total of 3,100 patients were examined at the OPDs and Emergencies of AHs by senior doctors, army doctors and some 30 female doctors who newly joined the public service.
Meanwhile, a 55-year-old patient namely Arzoo Bibi, suffering with cardiac problem was taken to HFH MU-II on June 30, took her breath last at MU-II because of non-availability of young doctors, who have been on strike for the last 16 days, distancing themselves even from emergency departments following Punjab government raids on Young Doctors Association (YDA) leadership at Services Hospital in Lahore a couple of days ago.
The sources added that Arzoo’s son contacted the administration, which immediately sent doctors from emergency but she did not wait the arrival of doctors and passed away.
The relatives of the patient went to the duty doctor’s office and registered their strong protest. However, after an hour, they decided to go back to home with the dead body of the deceased.
Additional Medical Superintendent (AMS) Dr Arshad Ali Khan termed the death as natural phenomena, saying: “The patient died of high fever. It was wrong that no doctor was present to save the life of the patient.”
Meanwhile, scores of patients and their attendants as well as general public asked the provincial government to improve health facilities to them at government-run hospitals by solving dispute with doctors or shut down these hospitals because they had become useless for them.