Lahore High Court Chief Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry on Thursday summoned Punjab chief secretary and office-bearers of the Young Doctors Association for Friday (today) to explain their respective stances on the doctors strike in public sector hospitals.
He was hearing two petitions – one against the strike of doctors and another challenging registration of cases against them.
He admonished the Punjab government for its failure to resolve the issue of young doctors which resulted in many deaths.
The CJ observed that Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif was known for removing officers even on minor negligence but despite a lapse of a month he did not take any action against health secretary for his complete failure to cope with the protesting doctors.
The chief justice also condemned the young doctors for observing prolonged strike and questioned the legality of their association.
“Those responsible for the crisis at hospitals will be taken to task irrespective of their status, ” the chief justice remarked.
The chief justice expressed his displeasure over inefficiency of health secretary Fawad Hasan Fawad which, he said, resulted in deterioration of health facilities at the hospitals.
Earlier, Mr Fawad informed the court that since day one of the strike the government was engaged with the protesting doctors.
Admitting patients faced trouble during the crisis, the secretary said the government tried its level best to minimise their worries.
Mr Fawad said the young doctors were demanding a raise in their salaries which was only possible through finance bill and would be applicable from the next fiscal year.
But, he said, the doctors were demanding the government should issue notification for a pay raise forthwith, adding the government had to consider paramedics and nursing staff also while increasing doctors’ salaries.
The secretary said the doctors started their strike in emergency departments of hospitals on March 31, and the government restored emergency treatment of patients within three days. Mr Fawad said senior doctors were also taken into confidence to bring the young ones back to work.
At this, the CJ remarked, “We know that all government hospitals were closed and no senior doctor was available as they also joined the strike by young doctors.”
The CJ said the poor could not go to private hospitals and the government had been playing with their lives.
Counsel for the petitioner, Manzoor Qadir, a journalist, who challenged the strike, informed the court that the Young Doctors Association had been harassing the doctors who wanted to perform duties at hospitals.
He said they used abusive language against lady doctors and stopped them from work. He said 200 patients lost their lives due to the YDA strike.
An additional advocate general informed the court that some doctors on ad hoc basis had been engaged by the government and in case the protesting doctors did not return to work, these medics would treat the patients at private hospitals.
Mr Qadir had submitted that doctors violated their code of professional conduct by observing the strike and causing serious problems to citizens.
He prayed that the government be directed to take action against the doctors and order them to call off their illegal strike forthwith.
While the doctors through a separate petition challenged cases against them and sought their cancellation.
No comments:
Post a Comment