LAHORE: Young doctors protested in two hospitals of the city on Monday, causing inconvenience to patients who had come from far-off areas of Lahore and adjoining cities.

The outpatient department of Shaikh Zayed Hospital (SZH) was kept locked throughout the day by the activists of Young Doctors Association (YDA), while the protest at Mayo Hospital lasted for around half an hour.

Joined by the paramedical staff, young doctors of SZH also hampered treatment at the indoor wards of the facility.

YDA’s SZH chapter president, Dr Qasim, said that the hospital administration was not taking interest in constructing Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Medical College building and hostels.

“SZH Chairman Prof Kamran Hussain has put the project on the back burner. He is evicting lady doctors from the hostels to accommodate first-year MBBS students admitted to Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Medical College. Furthermore, he has initiated disciplinary action against doctors and other staff members who were holding peaceful protests for their rights. We will continue our protest till the acceptance of our demands,” he added.

At the Mayo Hospital, YDA activists gathered outside the emergency ward at around 10:30am. Carrying banners and raising slogans against the hospital administration for a cut in the stipend of postgraduate trainee doctors, they not only blocked the main entrance to the ward, but also made it difficult for people to reach the outpatient department.

The YDA central leadership and some senior faculty members of the King Edward Medical University (KEMU) came to the rescue of the patients and convinced the protesters to clear the way as the hospital administration had no role in the deduction of their stipend.

A senior faculty member of the KEMU told Dawn that this month the Punjab government released Rs37.5 million for the stipend of postgraduate doctors against the previous Rs45m. “The KEMU vice chancellor, the chief executive officer and the medical superintendent decided to equally distribute the amount among the trainee doctors,” said the senior doctor.

Published in Dawn, December 11th, 2018