The joke is that many of those in the forefront of the campaign of the Young Doctors’ Association for a better service structure in Punjab are no longer that youthful. But it is not funny.

This is an issue that has not been fully addressed while, at the same time, there is no one who is prepared to pronounce it untreatable.

It is symbolic of much that exists in limbo in this country — including the health sector which is a bundle of the confused priorities of those who make policies and the ones who implement them.

Take a look: Young doctors take to streets

The Young Doctors in Punjab have taken to the streets again, a familiar sight since 2012 and even before. When their movement was at its peak in 2012, some kind of a compromise was reached between the protesters and the provincial government.

An agreement exists. Some kind of progress is also said to have been made towards addressing these demands. But just as expectations are raised, the doctors say there is some hiccup that stalls the process and they are left with no choice but to come out protesting once again.

There are many layers to the demand. The demonstrating doctors are often eager to include points such as the free flow of medicines to patients on their list, which gives a more wholesome, popular look to their movement.

Primarily, however, it is about promotions and other such details that determine perks and privileges in service for the doctors working in public-sector hospitals.

The main hurdle is lack of finances, to which the response of the doctors as well as other independent observers is standard: the government must get its priorities right.

The Young Doctors’ situation is after all only one aspect of it, even if it is agreed that, as in all such cases, not all their demands are reasonable or not all of them can be readily met.

There are many other instances justifying the criticism of the official penchant for fancy schemes at the cost of basics such as education and health. Even the courts have in recent times noted this, in the latest instance during the hearing of a petition against the construction of a new road in Lahore.

Having said that, the doctors’ protest has been allowed to continue for far too long. It is so replete with allegations of apathy and indeed betrayal that it must rank among the worst advertisements for the ‘efficient’ Shahbaz Sharif set-up.

Published in Dawn, April 2nd, 2015

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