YDA starts strike in OPD of PIMS

The Young Doctors Association at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences held a token strike in the outpatient department of the hospital on Monday and announced to continue the strike till Thursday while demanding increase in their salaries and revision in service structure.

The young doctors did not serve in outpatient department at PIMS on Monday from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. They also staged a protest on the premises of the hospital. The YDA PIMS organised a walk from Courtesy Centre to MCH in the hospital where President YDA Islamabad Dr Sajid Abbasi addressed the participants of the walk.

He said that the YDA Islamabad had twice written letters to the federal health secretary bringing into his notice the problems being faced by the young doctors serving in public sector hospitals of the capital but the government has given no response as yet.

“We demanded the government to increase salaries of doctors, to revise service structure, reduce duty hours in accordance with the criterion accepted internationally and to regularise jobs of doctors serving presently on contractual basis,” said Dr Sajid.

He added that the token strike would continue in OPD till Thursday and if the government does not give due response to the doctors’ demands, the YDA would announce further strategy.

Information Secretary YDA PIMS Dr Taqqi Anwar expressed to ‘The News’ that the young doctors at PIMS have been demanding pay raise in accordance with the salary structure being implemented in judiciary, police and other departments. “We are highly qualified yet least paid community of the country,” he said.

He added that the young doctors have to serve for 72 hours a week which by no means can be justified. “The working hours of the doctors should be reduced to 48 hours weekly while the doctors serving on contractual basis should be regularised,” said Dr Taqqi.

It is important that the strike in OPDs of the hospitals in Punjab province has already entered 21st day on Monday as the YDA Punjab has been demanding pay raise, pay protection and increase in health budget in the province.