LAHORE - Young Doctors Association Punjab took ‘revenge’ of suspension of their senior colleagues over the Punjab Institute of Cardiology’s medicines-related issue from the suffering humanity by denying health care facilities at most of the public sector hospitals in the City on Wednesday. YDA Punjab has announced to continue strike for one week to press for the demand of restoration of suspended doctors which means more hardships for the poor patients visiting public sector hospitals for free medical facilities.
Young Doctors Association completely closed down OPDs (outpatient departments) at the Services Hospital and Children’s Hospital and OPD and indoor at the PIC, enhancing miseries of the patients visiting these health facilities.
The medics strike also caused cancellation of dozens of scheduled surgeries at operation theaters of these hospitals and angiography at the PIC.
The young doctors also tried to close down OPDs of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and Jinnah Hospital but the senior doctors managed to attend visiting patients.
Absence of young doctors from these hospitals, however, hampered smooth working of OPDs besides enhancing miseries of indoor patients.
Mayo Hospital was least affected by the strike call as doctors continued attending patients both at the indoor and the OPD.
The patients visiting public sector hospitals affected by medics strike left with no other option except to go to nearby private clinics. The incidents of hot arguments between the protesting doctors and attendants of patients were witnessed at a number of hospitals including the Services Hospital and the PIC.
The rare incidents of physical brawl between the attendants and protesting doctors were also witnessed at the PIC and the Services Hospital.
Muhammad Munir, attendant of a patient at the Services Hospital, blamed the protesting doctors, saying that the saviours were taking revenge of their suspended seniors from the suffering humanity.
He said that instead of increasing hardships of the suffering patients, the doctors should talk to the people in power for resolving their grievances. He said that strike at hospitals has become a routine only due to weakness of the government.
Ahmed Mujtaba, attendant of another patient at the PIC, urged the government to take stringent action against protesting doctors to avoid such situation in future.
‘Such a noble profession does not allow strike. Doctors are bound to treat patients even during war. Now they (doctors) are fighting war against the government and leaving hapless patients unattended’, he remarked, adding, the protesting doctors should be given exemplary punishment for unethical act of going on strike.