Govt-doctors talks end in deadlock

The Young Doctors Association on Thursday threatened to remove its medical camps set up outside government hospitals in the province from Monday and not allow any doctor to sit in the outpatient departments (OPDs) if the provincial government failed to increase the salaries of doctors.

Talking to this reporter, YDA Punjab Chairman Dr Mohammad Haroon said the deadlock between the association and the provincial government continued on the 10th day of the strike with the former sticking to their demand for a pay raise.

He said the government’s focal person, MNA Pervaiz Malik, met YDA representatives on Thursday but the talks ended without any result.

The provincial government was of the view that it would increase the salaries of trainee doctors under different packages first while other doctors would get the pay raise later. However, the YDA insisted that all the doctors should be given pay raise simultaneously.

He said the government representative sought time to convey the message to the government and the YDA at a separate meeting decided to continue the strike in the OPDs.

When contacted, Secretary Health Fawad Hasan Fawad told Dawn on the phone that the trainee doctors were showing immaturity, leaving thousands of patients unattended for their salaries.

He said this was not the proper way to demand salary increase. He claimed that OPDs in government hospitals were working as per routine because senior doctors were providing treatment to the patients.

He said the government was not willing to take aggressive action against the protesting doctors. He said the strike would not provide any benefit to the doctors.

Meanwhile, the strike of trainee doctors entered 10th day on Thursday creating problems for the patients at the three government hospitals in the city.

Despite the fact that YDA set up medical camps in three teaching hospitals, a large number of patients and their attendants coming from far-flung areas gathered outside the OPDs at Benazir Bhutto Hospital, Holy Family Hospital and District Headquarters Hospital with no doctor ready to see them.