Pay raise announced: Doctors refuse to call off strike

The young doctors would not call off their strike until notification regarding the increase in their salaries was issued by the Punjab government.

This was stated by Chairman Young Doctors Association (YDA) Punjab Dr Muhammad Haroon here on Tuesday.

He said Prof Dr. Liaque Ahmed, Principal Multan Medical College and a member of Punjab Medical Colleges` Principals committee constituted by Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif to resolve the problems faced by the young doctors held a meeting with the Young Doctors Association (YDA) representatives in Lahore on Tuesday.

After the meeting, he said, Prof Dr Laique Ahmed announced that the young doctors` salaries would be increased by 40 per cent in the current fiscal year while remaining 60 per cent increase would be given in the next fiscal year.

Dr. Haroon said that the YDA representative made it clear that they would accept the package only if the government issued the notification within this week. He said that the doctors would not call off the strike and would continue to treat the patients at medical camps instead of OPDs until the notification was issued.

Earlier, the protesting trainee doctors of three hospitals of Rawalpindi held medical camps on the footpath outside the hospitals and treated a number of patients.

The strike of the young doctors entered 8th day as they had been demanding increase in their salaries. However, the patients continued to suffer because they had to visit the medical camps outside the hospitals after getting slips from the counter.

More than 4,500 patients daily visit the three government-run hospitals and due to the young doctors` strike, the patients have to wait for hours for their turn in the already over crowded medical camps.

After the establishment of the medical camps outside Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH), District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) and Holy Family Hospital (FHF), the senior doctors heaved a sigh of relief and went on their routine as most of the senior doctors are running their own private clinics and hospitals.

“We are under a lot of pressure. We are doing our best in treating as many patients as possible,” said Dr Asma Ahmed, a trainee doctor at Benazir Bhutto Hospital medical camp.

She said that the young doctors were providing the patients with free medicines. She said that two doctors were checking about 100 patients daily.