LAHORE - The Punjab Health Department on Thursday terminated service contracts of around 22 doctors believed to be involved in locking the accidental and emergency department of the Services Hospital which led to the deaths of two patients and halted treatment for scores of others. The health department took this decision after principals of teaching hospitals in the City recommended their names on finding their involvement in this regard. A high level meeting of the principals of the teaching hospitals was called by Secretary Health Punjab Anwar A Khan at the Civil Secretariat on Thursday in which he expressed strong reservation over the situation and decided to thwart unlawful activities of the 'miscreants' who disturbed peaceful environment of the hospitals. Commissioner Lahore Khusru Pervez, SSP Special Branch Lahore and other senior government officers were also present. The meeting was informed that there had been possibilities that PML-Q and owners of private medical colleges might be working behind the scene to create law and order situation for the Punjab government, a source privy to the development told The Nation. It was also discussed in the meeting that the PML-Q might have instigated and funded the Young Doctors Association in order to take political advantage of the situation and to destabilise the provincial government, the source added. It further said that basis of the PML-Q's possible involvement in the 'ugly' episode might be that (that) YDA president Hamid Butt and some other office-bearers belong to Gujrat and had close association with the party in Punjab. However, it was, later decided that the government would not withdraw legal proceedings against accused doctors while terminating them along with the others. The meeting discussed in detail the issue and many important decisions were taken regarding provision of health facilities to the patients and services matters of the medics. The insider said, the first decision was to kick out the doctors from the health department would not tolerate the 'inhuman attitude' of the doctors towards the patients and would crush the elements for providing unhindered medical treatment to the patients. The other decision was to ensure the rules and regulations of the College of Physicians Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP) according to which the supervisors at the teaching hospitals would not provide training to more than 8 PG Trainee students at same time. The principals were directed to fully authorise the supervisors for the termination and strict departmental action against those PG trainees working under in their respective departments if found involved in unlawful activities. The meeting also decided that the health department would not withdraw the notification in which the foreign qualified and those who got degrees from private colleges were banned for house job in public sector hospitals. The doctors terminated by the government include Dr Hamid Butt, president YDA, Dr Aftab, Dr Usman Khalid, Dr Hassan, Dr Kashif Warraich, Dr Abu Bakar, Dr Nasir Zaidi, Dr Farrukh, Dr Rai Ahmad, Dr Zeshan, Dr Shaukat and others. Meanwhile, police arrested 12 more doctors during crackdown on Jinnah Hospital when they were locking some hospital departments. Dr Muhammad Zaman Khan who got 14 gold medals in the convocation at Jinnah Hospital from the Prime Minister for his distinctive position, was also among these 12 doctors held by the police and later sent behind the bars. Out of the 12, it was learnt that 7 doctors were later released on the assurance of the Principal Allama Iqbal Medical College. In a press release, office-bearers of the Anjuman-e-Shahrian condemned the role of some medics who caused immense trouble for the patient and demanded of the Punjab Chief Minister strict departmental and legal action against them. Similarly, Doctors Front Punjab president Dr Afzal Zaidi and other office-bearers endorsed the decision of PMA president Dr Yasmin Rashid who appealed the chief minister to release the doctors from the police custody and take departmental action against them.