ISLAMABAD: Doctors and paramedic staff in various parts of the country are on strike and are protesting for the acceptance of their demands. However, this has caused a lot of problems for the people and poor patients who depend on public sector healthcare system. According to reports, the doctors at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) have been on strike for the past 21 days. Patients coming from the federal capital and adjoining districts including Chakwal, Attock and Rawalpindi face a lot of problems. Sources said that OPD and emergency were partially open but only as a formality. “The staff deputed there does not treat patients with full attention and devotion,” sources said. The situation is no different in Punjab, where after refusal by doctors in Lahore to attend to two expecting women, another incident took place in Tandlianwala area of Faisalabad. “The woman came to the hospital in the morning and was checked by the doctor. However; she was going to the canteen when she went into labour and she gave birth to the child who is in stable condition,” officials said. It is the third incident of its kind in a week. Earlier, a woman gave birth to a child on the stairs near medical superintendent’s office in Sir Ganga Ram Hospital on Thursday. In the last one week, a woman in Raiwind gave birth outside the THQ Hospital after the staff refused to treat her. Sameera Bibi was experiencing labour pains at the time of entry and no doctor was available in the hospital, following which she eventually gave birth in front of the hospital gate during morning hours. Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Shehbaz Sharif while taking notice of the incidents summoned report from Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique and the Health secretary. He has also emphasized to take legal action against those responsible. In Sheikhupura on Saturday, the doctors refused to attend a burnt child. The parents requested the doctors to treat them, but they refused. Later, they had to take the child to a private clinic. Published in Daily Times, October 22nd 2017.