Over 30 striking young doctors sacked

LAHORE (92 News) – The administration of the provincial capital’s main hospitals have on Friday sacked more than 30 young doctors. The administration of the General Hospital sacked around six House Officers, while the Jinnah Hospital administration terminated seven young doctors. The Young Doctors’ Association (YDA) had staged a protest demonstration and strike in favor of their demands. The convoys of doctors from across the province had reached Lahore to participate in a Young Doctors’ Association (YDA) protest. The doctors of the association had demanded that the provincial health secretary, Najam Ahmad Shah, be removed from his position and the Central Induction Policy, introduced by him, be revoked. Earlier, the Punjab government had issued one day ultimatum to the young doctors to return to their duties as the second round of dialogues between the provincial government and Young Doctors’ Association (YDA) failed. The young doctors have also given 48-hour deadline to the provincial government saying that they will shut the emergencies of all the hospitals across the province if their demands are not met. The strike of young doctors has entered fourth day as the doctors had stopped working in the Out Patient Department (OPD) and Indoors of the hospital. The strike by the young doctors has left hundreds of poor patients from far flung areas to suffer at many health care facilities across Punjab. Large number of poor people who had come from far-flung areas for treatment had to suffer due to strike by the young doctors.