Patients suffer as doctors, nurses & paramedics continue strike for 5th day

LAHORE (92 News) – Young doctors, nurses and paramedics continued their strike against the Medical Teaching Institution (MTI) Act for the fifth day across the province, including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and Multan. The staff stopped work in OPDs of government hospitals. No operation could be conducted due to the strike. Owing to the strike, patients faced a lot of problems in getting treatment. The Grand Health Employees Alliance office-bearers said that they would not allow anyone to introduce the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa-like system in Punjab. They said that they would allow anyone to enforce the MTI Act in Punjab. They threatened to close indoor departments from Friday if the MTI Act was not withdrawn. Doctors also observed the strike in Rawalpindi’s hospitals – Holy Family, DHQ and Benazir. Paramedics and nurses also joined their hands with the striking doctors. In Faisalabad, doctors closed OPDs in Allied and Civil hospitals. In Multan, doctors also protested against proposed privatization of hospitals under the MTI Act. Patients faced a lot of difficulties for not getting medical facilities in OPDs.