October 8, 2003	Wednesday	Sha’aban 11, 1424

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RAWALPINDI, Oct 7: Junior doctors at the Holy Family Hospital (HFH) on Tuesday observed strike in protest against what they said the indifferent and discriminatory attitude of the hospital administration.

The strike affected the out-patients department and working of the wards. However, the doctors provided emergency cover and care to the patients at the intensive care and the cardiac care units as well as those in serious condition in the wards.

The doctors tried to negotiate their demands with the administration. However, they told this reporter later that the effort was thwarted by one of the administration members who has been on a long leave.

The doctors have given a 48-hour ultimatum to the administration to solve their problems, otherwise they threatened to go on an indefinite strike. The doctors are likely to announce formation of an action committee on Wednesday.

The unrest began after the hospital administration failed to get implemented the recommendations of a committee probing into the theft of a junior doctor’s car. The committee had directed the administration to seek compensation from the parking lot contractor.

Dr Faisal Chaudhry’s Toyota Corolla was stolen on September 17 while parked outside the doctors’ hostel.

The doctors alleged that the administration was unduly favouring the parking contractor.

The contractor has, on the other hand, moved an application with the hospital administration holding Dr Faisal himself responsible for the car’s theft.

Meanwhile, the administration has constituted a fresh committee headed by Prof Asif Zafar to investigate the issue.

The doctors, accusing the administration of indifference towards their problems, said the administration had constructed a special car parking lot for senior doctors after the increase in the incidence of car thefts but nothing had been done for the junior doctors.

Six cars, they added, had been stolen from the hospital premises during the last few months. One of the professors, whose car had been stolen, was compensated while nothing was being done in the case of a junior doctor, they said.

“The administration has failed to protect our property and we demand protection,” one of the doctors said.

The junior doctors are also complaining of harsh working conditions in the hospital wards.