RAWALPINDI - Scores of poor patients’ suffering continued even on Tuesday owing to strike being observed by young doctors at Outdoor Patient Departments (OPSs) of Allied Hospitals.
The young doctors went on strike on the call of Young Doctors Association (YDA) Punjab to press the provincial government to improve the service structure of doctors at government run hospitals. During a visit to three government run hospitals, District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ), Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) and Holy Family Hospital, tens of hundreds of poor patients, conditions of them very serious, were seen standing helpless inside or outside the OPDs in search of any “Maseeha” but in vain.
Outside OPD HFH, a patient Wasif Chaudhry, suffering with high fever, told The Nation that he has been waiting for the doctor for last two hours but no doctor arrived so far. He said that he was a cycle mechanic with a meager daily income and could not afford the fee of private doctors. The strike should be ended immediately as it was not in favor of destitute segments of the society, said Wasif with gloomy face.
“My one month old daughter is sick and I brought her here for medical check up but there is no doctor present in OPD. What should I do, where I go, I have no money for private doctors. I request the government to solve doctors’ problems so that they call off their strike” said Yasmin Bibi while talking to this scribe at BBH Peads OPD.
During an interaction, YDA Punjab Chairman Dr Muhammad Haroon said that the young doctors did not want to create problems for the general public but the government defiance had left no option for them except protest and strike.
He said that the doctors would continue their strike until their demands meet by the government. “The patients will be seen at ICUs and Emergency Departments during the strike” said Haroon. After the strike, the YDA would block the roads if the government did not redress their maladies, he threatened.
On the other hand, Rawalpindi Medical College (RMC) Principal and Allied Hospitals (AHs) Chief Dr Musadiq Khan said that the senior doctors were examining the patients in emergency departments because of closure of OPDs in AHs.
He claimed that the operations and health treatment to serious patients were conducted as per routine without any hurdle.
He said that the AHs administration was facing tough time as majority of doctors at three teaching hospitals were belonged to young doctors.
He said that Punjab government was trying its level best solve the problems being faced by the doctors in coming days.
Earlier, the young doctors shut down Outdoor Patient Departments (OPDs) of Allied Hospitals (AHs) on Monday as they went on strike to press the Punjab government to improve their service structure. The strike call was given by Young Doctors Association (YDA) Punjab across the province to improve the structure of doctors working in government hospitals.