RAWALPINDI: The young doctors of the garrison city on Thursday staged a protest against the Punjab government for not paying stipends to postgraduate trainees and proposed privatisation plan of public sector hospitals.

More than 150 doctors gathered at Benazir Bhutto Hospital and blocked Murree Road for two hours from 11am to 1pm.

The protesters were carrying placards and banners inscribed with their demands besides chanting slogans against the health department and the Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.

Talking to Dawn, their leader Dr. Haider Akhter said the protest was part of a three-week agitation plan of the YDA Punjab.

“If the government failed to accept their demands, the young doctors will again go on strike next week,” he said.

He said the YDA demanded release of stipends with arrears to postgraduate trainees at government run hospitals, end to privatisation of public hospitals in 10 districts of Punjab, provision of free hostel facility to young doctors, raising pay of medical officers and postgraduate trainees as well as 31,500 house officers across the province.

He said that the government had accepted the demand of special allowance to consultants in peripheries and the YDA managed to convince doctors to go to the far flung areas but later the government stopped the allowance.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2015

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