The Punjab Health Department has warned thousands of young doctors of the government hospitals to end their strike by 21st March otherwise their services would be terminated. The health department sources told Business Recorder here on Thursday that Medical Superintendents of the teachings hospitals and district headquarter hospitals have issued show cause notices to the activists of the Young Doctors Association (YDA) to end the province wide strike or receive termination letters.
It may be added that young doctors of the government hospitals have been on strike from March 1st to press for their demand for increase in pay and better working conditions. On the call of the YDA, young doctors had been boycotting Out Patient Departments (OPDs) but providing treatment to the incoming patients in tents set up on roadsides or in the compounds of the hospitals. However, they closed all OPDs inner units, wards and operation theaters on Thursday and said YDA would make the government accept their demands.
Senior Advisor to the Chief Minister, Sardar Zulfikar Ali Khosa had a meeting with the representatives of the young doctors the other day and assured them that their salaries would be increased in the next year's budget. He said presently the provincial government has no funds to increase doctors' salaries due to last year's devastating floods, therefore, the doctors should wait until next year's budget is announced.
Meanwhile, the Opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly and PPP leader Raja Riaz on Thursday said the demands of the doctors were justified and PPP fully supports them on this matter. Speaking at the young doctors protest camp in front of Punjab Assembly, Riaz criticised the style of Punjab government to cope with the public grievances.
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