LAHORE - Differences between Punjab government and different medical associations on Health Care Bill 2009 could lead to province-wide strikes as representatives of these associations have refused to accept certain clauses proposed by government in the Bill, sources in the PMA confided to The Nation on Tuesday. An office-bearer of Pakistan Medical Association said though certain clauses of the commission have been finalised unanimously by the both parties but few and most important clauses were yet to be finalised. He said main difference between Punjab government and doctors was number and appointment of commissioners on which government wanted to appoint six commissioners on the recommendations of Chief Minister Punjab. Whereas doctors representatives were of the view that number of these commissioners would be nine and only three should be appointed on the recommendations Chief Minister and rest of the six would be purely post graduate doctors appointed by medical associations. The government wanted to implement the commission immediately while doctors wanted to implement it in phases as exercised at international level. Doctors also demanded to define the nature of offence and its punishment for the doctors. Sources said after meeting of doctors with Chief Minister Punjab a few days back Chief Minister Punjab constituted a committee headed by Provincial Minister Law, Rana Sana Ullah. Among the other members of committee included Dr Saeed Elahi, Secretary Law, Secretary Health and Secretary Prosecution. From the other side Dr Yasmin Rashid, president of PMA Lahore, Dr Akhtar Rasheed Secretary General PMA Punjab, Dr. Tariq Mehmood representative of Family Physicians, two representatives of Young doctors association and owner of Private Hospitals were included. Among the associations included Pakistan Medical Association, PMA (Punjab), Young Doctor Association (YDA), Punjab Academy of Family Physicians, Medical Teachers Association, Private Hospital Owners Associations and Health Professional Forum. A representative of YDA said consensus has been developed on certain clauses, which included, elimination of quackery from the province. Amount of fine was reduced from Rs5 millions to Rs0.5 million only to the doctors found in any type of violation. It was also unanimously agreed that no raid would be conducted on any registered clinic by any inspector. Only inspection could be made before issuance of licence to any clinic or on serious complaint of any citizen. No FIR would be launched against any doctors and in case of any negligence by doctor HCC team would conduct inquiry into the matter. It is worth mentioning here that Young Doctors Association office-bearers Dr Rana Sohail, Dr Talha Sherwani, Dr Aurangzeb and other have started a province wide coordination campaign and visited Nishtar Hospital Multan on Tuesday and addressed the convention of doctors against health care bill 2009. YDA office-bearers have appealed to the young doctors to stay united and they would soon meet PM Yousaf Raza Gillani and Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif on their demands of pay raise for doctors equal to Judiciary, fixed duty hours for doctors and regular services structure with time scale promotion.