Higher salaries for capital doctors

The capital`s young doctors working in public hospitals will get significantly higher salaries and a new service structure from July 1 this year, two demands for which they went on strike last month.

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Monday approved a summary on a new career path for health professionals, with young doctors joining the government service in grade 9 – equivalent to BPS-18 – with minimum salary package of Rs75,000 per month.

“The professional career structure for doctors will now have grades 1-13. Young doctors will be inducted in grade 9 and get around Rs75,000 per month,” Nargis Sethi, secretary health, told Dawn .

Doctors currently join the federal government hospitals in BPS-17 with a starting salary of around Rs25,000 to Rs30,000 per month.

For almost a month, Young Doctors Association`s strike brought the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) and Polyclinic to a standstill. Demanding better service structure and higher salaries, young doctors` strike in March created immense difficulties for patients.

Under the new package, paramedics, nurses, and pharmacists have been placed in grades 1-7. Similarly senior doctors in grade 13 – equivalent to BPS-22 – would get around Rs200,000 or more per month.

Ms Sethi said Prime Minister Gilani and President Asif Ali Zardari had discussed the young doctors` demands and concerns. “PM Gilani has approved the health ministry`s summary.”

She said under the summary approved by the prime minister, the doctors and other health professionals would have a separate service structure. “The decision will come into effect from July 1.”

But she also added that the financial impact of the decision was being discussed by the finance, establishment, and health secretaries.

The secretary added that with the approval of the summary, around 100 or more doctors would be inducted at the federal level.

“Now doctors will get promotion on merit and the best of them will serve in grade 13, which is equivalent to BPS-22.”

She said the Pay and Pension Commission of the federal government had endorsed the government`s decision for streamlining the “highly regarded profession of doctors”.

A senior Pims doctor, requesting anonymity, termed the government move a landmark decision for medical profession. He asked the provincial governments to follow the federal initiative to resolve the concerns of doctors.

YDA members at Pims and Polyclinic also lauded the government decision.

“With contractual doctors getting regular jobs and several of our senior doctors moving to a next grade is a great move” said Dr Owais Nizami, a key member of YDA.

The prime minister on Monday told the National Assembly that the `medical practitioners` working on contract will be regularised.

Relief and expectations as doctors return

The parking lot was full at the Services Hospital Hostel, Lahore on Friday, as doctors rushed off to duty after 37 days of strike.

In Medical Unit 4, Dr Mujahid Israr, a post-graduate trainee in internal medicine was glad to be back with his patients and nursing staff

“When I reached my ward this morning, I was overwhelmed when one of my patients, who is diabetic and suffering from lung infection, got me flowers,” said Israr.

The calling off of the strike was a source of joy amongst his colleagues, said Israr, adding they were now more motivated to work. “The main issue for young doctors was the low salary packages and the major brain drain that was taking place,” explained YDA Punjab president Usman Dar.

“We were compelled to come on the roads for our demands,” he said.”Look at the lawyers’ movement or the PIA or KESC workers – this the only way the government listens,” he added.

The biggest thing the movement brought is dignity, he said.

“The prestige of being a doctor is finally being realised and doctors are now hoping for better health infrastructure,” he added,

For patients, the end of the strike has brought relief. Farooq Hussain, whose father was admitted at the Services Hospital with a broken hip, said the doctors were now providing extra care to his father.

Some patients also appeared sensitive to the doctors’ cause. Muhammed Ali Butt, whose father was admitted into Punjab Instituite of Cardiology, said “The [doctors] have the right, but we also need people to sacrifice and work for the greater good,” said Butt, adding that the government should have resolved the situation earlier.

At Ganga Ram, assistant professor of sugery Feroke Zara expressed hope that the committee constituted by Punjab chief minister will work towards resolving the issue for good.”This should be settled because we know that an adhoc solution will never work,” Zara added.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 9^th, 2011.

Punjab doctors call off 37-day strike

The Punjab chapter of the Young Doctors Association (YDA) finally called off its strike on Thursday after a 37-day long agitation as a ‘goodwill gesture’ to coincide with the World Health Day. After the announcement junior doctors started resuming their duties at public sector hospitals of the province.

The drop scene of the longest-ever strike of doctors in the country came after a 17-minute long meeting between Shahbaz Sharif and four YDA leaders at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, where the latter announced calling off the strike.

Sardar Zulfiqar Khosa, the chief minister’s senior adviser, Law Minister Rana Sanaullah and Senator Pervaiz Rashid were also present on the occasion. The YDA was represented by its president and secretary general.

Sources said the breakthrough was made late on Wednesday at a meeting between the YDA leaders Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah.

The minister argued that the closure of emergency departments of public hospitals on the Health Day would bring a bad name to the country. As a result, a majority of doctors resumed their duties on Thursday morning.

The law minister assured the doctors the government was ready to accept their demands for a pay raise.

Rana Sanaullah also informed the YDA leaders that the Punjab Health Department had been directed to reinstate all sacked young doctors and to withdraw notices issued to agitators.

The ban on the entry of protesting doctors in public sector health institutions of the province would also be lifted, the YDA was assured.

“The young doctors have restored all critical care departments of the state-run health facilities, including emergency and ICU-CCU,” Rana Sanaullah told Dawn.

He said all the young doctors, including YDA office-bearers whose services had been terminated by the department during the strike, would be reinstated immediately.

The law minister said the YDA had called off its strike unconditionally.

The association’s office-bearers told the media at Services Hospital that the chief minister had accepted their demands and assured them that the salary issue would be resolved on a priority basis.

YDA’s Punjab president Dr Hamid Butt said all the critical care departments of the public hospitals, including OPDs, had been made functional after most doctors returned to work on Thursday.

He said the chief minister had set up a six-member committee, comprising Sirdar Zulfiqar Khosa, Pervaiz Rasheed and Rana Sanaullah from the government side, and YDA office-bearers Dr Haroon, Dr Abbacy Gondola and Dr Nair, to prepare recommendations regarding the special pay package and submit a report within 15 days.

Hospital sources confirmed the critical care departments functioned fully on Thursday. The attendance of doctors was almost 80 per cent.

YDA Punjab ends 37-day long strike

The Young Doctors Association (YDA) has announced to call off the strike after meaningful dialogue with Chief Minister Punjab Mian Mohammed Shahbaz Sharif in Lahore on Thursday.

Meanwhile, CM Punjab constituted a six-member committee to look into the demands of the YDA, which would be comprised of Senator Pervaiz Rasheed, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan and Senior Advisor to Punjab CM Sardar Zulfiqar Khosa and three members of young doctors.

The committee would present a report to CM in one week.

The CM Punjab ensured doctors to solve their just problems and ensured that their salaries would be raised in the next budget.

A six-member delegation comprising young doctors called on Shahbaz Sharif at the CM House and an hour-long dialogue were culminated at success.

Later, YDA Punjab announced to end their 37-day long strike.

Mian Shahbaz Sharif said that the salaries of young doctors would be increased in next budget.

Talking to media persons Rana sanaullah khan said that the responsibility of the deaths of patients during the strike equally lies upon government, media and doctors.

He said that the families of the deceased patients would be compensated over loss of lives.

Talking to media, Dr Haroon said that the dialogue with chief minister and his team were held amid a very positive atmosphere, adding that the CM has ensured doctors to solve their just problems.

He further said that Shahbaz Sharif also ensured to meet at anytime and any place to solve their problems.

Lahore High Court (LHC) has issued Notices on Punjab Doctors (YDA) Strike:

Lahore High Court Chief Justice (CJ) Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry has summoned in court today (Friday) the Punjab chief secretary in person to give explanation regarding the deteriorating condition of health facilities in hospitals due to strike of the Young Doctors Association (YDA). CJ Chaudhry observed that the provincial government had completely failed in controlling the present crisis and deplored that those responsible are playing with the lives of the masses. CJ Chaudhry remarked that within twenty-four hours, the chief minister (CM) had suspended officers of commissioner rank, but despite a passage of 36 days, the provincial government did not take any action against the responsible (secretary health). CJ Chaudhry, while pointing out that all government hospitals had been closed because of the strike, said that the government was playing with lives of the poor who could not afford going to private hospitals. He further remarked that whosoever is responsible for causing closure of the hospitals would have to face the consequences and that it would be decided soon as to whether cases should be registered against those responsible. Separately, the CJ also summoned YDA president to explain the legal position of establishment of the YDA. Meanwhile, on Thursday, Punjab Health Secretary Fawad Hassan Fawad appeared in the court and submitted that the doctors started their strike in the emergency departments on March 31 while the government was able to restore the emergency treatment within three days. He said senior doctors had also been taken into confidence to bring the young doctors back to hospitals. staff report

CS, YDA officials summoned

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.

YDA likely to call off the strike

The Young Doctors Association (YDA) is likely to announce to call off strike and resumes the duties. The YDA meeting is still on and there is a strong notion that they have reached on some positive patch up with the provincial government. However, no member was willing to break the news. They said the government had already annoyed them when it broke the news to the media about YDA talks with Zulfiqar Khosa.

Till filing of this report, a positive development was believed to be emerging. The decision, purportedly, will be announced at 11pm during a press conference. The press conference was first scheduled at 10 pm but delayed for one hour.