Daily Times

PESHAWAR: The Hayatabad Medical Complex looked like a battlefield when the police and doctors quarrelled with each other. As a result, many doctors were injured and arrested by the police on Tuesday.

A spokesperson for the Young Doctors Association said that that YDA was observing a peaceful protest at the premises of the hospital when police attacked them and injured many. Meanwhile, Senior Minister for Health Shahram Khan Tarkai condemned the protest of doctors and said that doctors were not providing treatment to the poor patients in the holy month of Ramazan, which was not acceptable. Addressing a press conference at the provincial assembly, he said that Medical Teaching Institution (MTI) Act was passed by the provincial assembly with the consultation of doctors. He said that throughout the world the PTI’s health reforms were appreciated by the people and other provinces were also following the health reforms of the government in their respective provinces.

He informed that the PTI government appointed more than 3,200 doctors in the periphery hospitals, while the doctors’ salaries had been raised, as no government in the history of the province had raised the salary of doctors before. He said that doctors who were arrested during the protest would be suspended, and added that the provincial government would not compromise on the health of the poor patients and “anyone who disturbs the situation of the hospital will face action”. Minister for Irrigation Shah Farman condemned the sitting of Adviser to Prime Minister Amir Muqam in the hunger camp of young doctors, adding that the federal government and Amir Muqam wanted to fail the health reforms of the provincial government but they “will never succeed in their plans”.