Finally, better sense has prevailed and the Young Doctors’ Association has called off their strike following negotiations with representatives of the Punjab government. It has given a sense of relief to the tens of thousands of patients in public sector hospitals who were suffering for no fault of theirs. The government has agreed to stop implementation of transfer orders as a first step and assured the doctors that their problems would be addressed, more healthcare providers would be posted at OPDs and their service structure finalised. For this, a comprehensive report would be submitted to the Ministry within a month.
This is not for the first time that young doctors had stuck their work to seek a better pay package and improved working environment. One wishes the health authorities had looked into their complaints sympathetically to avoid such a situation to occur. Doctors’ decision to stay away from work always made the sick suffer more. Last time such a situation prevailed, a number of patients died due to lack of medical care. This cannot be condoned under any circumstances. Both sides should realise that such situations do not recur.