Daily Times

LAHORE: The Young Doctors Association (YDA) staged protest rallies against central induction post graduation policy in the capital as well as across the province on Wednesday.

Doctors announced that a series of protests would continue until the Punjab government withdraws the central induction policy within next 48 hours. The YDA blocked major roads in Lahore and other cities of the province to record their protest.

The young doctors of Mayo Hospital, Punjab Dental Hospital and Sir Ganga Ram Hospital blocked The Mall by holding protest demonstration at Faisal Chowk in front of Punjab Assembly. Similarly, young doctors of Services Hospital and Punjab Institute of Cardiology blocked Jail Road, young doctors from Children’s Hospital and Lahore General Hospital blocked Ferozepur Road in front of their respective side, while young doctors from Shaikh Zayed Hospital and Jinnah Hospital blocked Canal Road, which virtually crippled the traffic flow and caused tremendous problems for the commuters.

The young doctors were carrying banners and placards inscribed with their demands and chanting slogans against the government for depriving doctors of their rights in the province. The protesters said that if government would not complete their demands, they would enhance the protest against government on routine basis. The YDA has demanded to change the policy of central induction.

The young doctors’ strike caused a great deal of problems for the patients in hospitals, as work in OPDs was partially shut and several minor operations were postponed. Besides, the closure of roads created massive inconvenience for the people, who remained stuck in traffic for hours. Several ambulances were also stuck in traffic, which endangered the lives of some serious patients.

Mayo Hospital YDA member Zafarullah said that the policy has been formulated to keep young doctors under the bureaucracy’s thumb. He said politicians and bureaucrats with vested interests would decide who obtained postgraduate training and who did not follow the policy’s introduction. “The government might have to grapple with yet another province-wide agitation if the policy is introduced,” he warned. YDA Punjab President Dr Ajmal Chaudhry said that the cruel central induction policy imposed on the young doctors by the government would limit the aspirations of young doctors for PG training and we consider it usurping the rights of young doctors.

The YDA leaders, however, claimed that young doctors didn’t hold a strike or disrupt the healthcare services in hospitals, as majority of doctors’ strength continued to provide healthcare services to the patients in emergency, indoor and outdoor wards of their respective hospitals. They claimed that doctors were performing duties in hospitals as usual, and no operations were postponed. However, it proved to be a hollow promise as patients were seen running from pillar to post to get the required treatment.