Daily Times

LAHORE: Atif Chaudhry group of the Young Doctors Association (YDA) on Tuesday called on Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and discussed with him the prevailing situation emerging out in the wake of the longstanding standoff between the young medics and the government.

The YDA delegation, comprising senior Vice President Dr Atif Chaudhry, Dr Shoaib Niazi, Joint Secretary Dr Anjum Baloch, senior Vice President Hassan Awan, General Secretary Dr Naqqash, Dr Zeeshan Lashari and Dr Durrab, met former deputy premier at his residence on Zahoor Elahi Road.

Dr Atif told of Elahi that Shehbaz Sharif was utilising health budget on the Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) project and the situation at public sector hospitals was getting worse with each passing day.

“What we are demanding is very clear and simple. We want government to improve healthcare facilities at hospitals and recruit doctors on permanent basis through the Punjab Public Service Commission,” he said.

He said that the doctors were beaten up on the directives of the chief minister.

Dr Atif said that a number of doctors were going abroad owing to the government’s ineffective police, creating a vacuum of skilled and educated manpower in the country.

Speaking on the occasion, Elahi assured doctors of his support and asked the government to stop aggressing against. He said that the rulers would be held accountable for the malicious treatment being meted out to doctors and patients.

“The Punjab government has destroyed education system by privatising schools and now government hospitals are also being leased out to blue-eyed persons of Shehbaz Sharif on contract,” he said.

Published in Daily Times, August 9^th 2017.