Govt appoints new doctors as YDA strike continues on eighth day

LAHORE: A strike called by Young Doctors Association (YDA) entered its eighth day today (Tuesday) after the government failed to negotiate with the association.

Around 66 'young doctors' were shown the door, and action was taken against over 70 after the YDA refused to treat patients in government hospitals across Punjab, particularly in Lahore.

Authorities appointed over 15 doctors and 112 post-graduate (PG) trainees after YDA continued its strike in the outpatient departments of government hospitals in Lahore and other cities of Punjab.

In a press talk on Sunday, the YDA gave a 72-hour ultimatum to even halt duties in the emergency wards of government hospitals if authorities failed to accept their demands.

The association has demanded that the provincial health secretary, Najam Ahmad Shah, be removed from his position and the Centralised Induction Policy (CIP), introduced by him, be revoked. 

According to the protesting doctors, the CIP discriminates between doctors who have graduated from government institutes and those who have received their education from private ones. Since a majority of the doctors have graduated from private medical colleges, they want a ‘fair’ system to be put in place.

After negotiations with the government failed, YDA activists approached political leaders including Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid chief Pervaiz Elahi and Jamaat-e-Islami leader Liaqat Baloch.