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LAHORE - Ending protest and resuming duties at OPDs of public sector hospitals, the Punjab Young Doctors Association (YDA) has announced setting up of a hunger strike camp outside the Services Hospital from today (Monday) to press for their demands.
Addressing a press conference at doctors’ hostel of Services Hospital on Sunday, YDA office bearers including Dr Hamid Butt, Dr Nasir Abbas, Dr Javed Aheer, Dr Usman Ayub and Dr Ajmal made it clear that the community would not withdraw services from hospitals in future and would continue struggle for the rights of doctors and the suffering humanity.
They said only central committee and general council office bearers would attend hunger strike camp while all the young doctors would continue performing duties at hospitals. They said that only water would be served as quoted by international standards of hunger strike. They said that hunger strike would continue till death or acceptance of YDA demands.
They demanded release of doctors detained after Gujranwala incident, withdrawal of transfer and termination of protesters, provision of free medicine and diagnostic facilities at hospitals, repair of dysfunctional equipment and implementation of service structure. The YDA asked the doctors to remove camps and resume duties at OPDs from tomorrow.
The YDA demanded commencement of provision of free medicines/drugs (oral, intravenous, enteral, pareneteral), free laboratory investigations, free bedding, free operation procedures/the tools used in operations; to the patients. They also demanded repair of out-of-order machinery including CT scan, MRI, fluoroscopy, XRAY, laboratory, operation theatre, anesthesia, cardiac monitors, ventilators, angiography machines.
They demanded implementation of Service Structure for doctors which was approved with signatures of Chief Minister Punjab, Health Secretary Punjab, Chief Secretary Punjab, Finance Secretary, Advisor to CM on Health and representatives of committee from YDA Punjab, Pakistan Medical Association, Medical Teachers Association and General Cadre Doctors Association.
They also demanded justice to seven young doctors of Gujranwala who were in jail for 32 days now. They also demanded reversal of departmental action in the form of termination from job/suspensions/ transfers, harassment letters to homes of the young doctors who were peacefully protesting in the form of OPD camps and were catering all the patients without any hindrance.
Earlier, the LHC issued notice to secretary health Punjab, president Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC) and office bearers of Young Doctors Association (YDA) on a contempt petition.
Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan issued notice on a contempt petition filed by Judicial Activism Panel.
Earlier, the petitioner’s counsel arguing before the court submitted that doctors were still on strike over Gujranwala issue despite the repeated court orders to stop protests. He said doctors were absent from hospitals, where there were reports of deaths due to measles.
He said that PMDC and Health department also failed to perform their duties to act against doctors. He pleaded the court to initiate contempt proceedings against the respondents.
The court after hearing the arguments issued notice to respondents and sought replies within ten days.