LAHORE - Different medical associations here Wednesday staged a protest and a sit-in in favour of their demands in front of the Punjab Assembly. A good number of nurses, doctors and medical teachers gathered at The Mall, and demanded the release of their peer nurse Fahmida, who was arrested by the Punjab Police for alleged 'negligence in treatment of a patient at the Doctors Hospital. They also rejected the forthcoming Punjab Health Care Bill and said that they would never accept such a bill carrying black laws. The associations, which participated in the protest included Young Doctors Association (YDA), Punjab Medical Association (PMA), Family Physicians Medical Association, Medical Teachers Association and Punjab Nursing Association. The protestors carrying placards and banners blocked The Mall, chanted slogans and demanded release of the arrested nurse. They also flayed the proposed Punjab Health Care Bill. Addressing the protesting medical fraternity, YDA President Dr Hamid Butt, office-bearer of the Nursing Association Ghazala Jamil, renowned Gynaecologist Dr Yasmin Rashid and Dr Tariq Mian said that doctors and paramedical staff were the people, who perform their duties in all sorts of calamity, and do all this only with good intention. They said that it was a wrong impression to hold doctors and paramedical staff responsible for the death of any patient. They further said that they were ready to go to jail in defence of their demands, adding that the proposed Health Bill was against the basic norms of the Health Department. The protesters pledged if the said nurse was not released, their protest would continue. Heavy contingent of police was deployed on The Mall to meet any untoward incident. However, the protesters remained peaceful and no unpleasant incident took place.