RAWALPINDI: Patients are suffering at the government hospitals as young doctors observed a three-hour strike to press the government to provide them security.

Due to the strike, patients were treated in the outdoor patient departments (OPDs) from 8am to 11am only. The young doctors observed strike at Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) and the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital but could not stop work at the Holy Family Hospital.

“I visited the DHQ hospital with the complaints of high fever and cough but the OPD was closed at 11am,” said Mohammad Babar, a resident of Akaalgarh.

Sohail Ahmed, of Gowalmandi, said he took his father to the hospital after his blood pressure shot up but no doctor was available there.

Mohammad Khan, a resident of Khana Road, said he visited the BBH for the treatment of his 10-year-old son who was suffering from fever but doctors were not on duty.

Dr Haider Akhter, YDA BBH chapter president, told Dawn that they did not want to create problems for the patients but the government was not listening to their request for the provision of security to the doctors.

He said emergency services were not disturbed and doctors in the intensive care units remained on duty. “We are observing a token strike.”

He said the poor security arrangements were exposed two days ago when two groups of people resorted to firing after a brawl at the DHQ Hospital, leaving six people injured.

When contacted, BBH medical superintendent Dr Asif Qadir Mir said the administration had asked senior doctors and medical specialists to look after the patients at the OPD. He said the administration was making arrangements to provide treatment to the patients.

Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2015

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