FAISALABAD: The lady doctors living in Allied Hospital’s hostel were facing problems because of room shortage and discriminatory attitude of the housekeeper.

A boarder seeking anonymity told Dawn on Monday that on the one hand six to eight lady doctors had been stuffed in one room, while those with strong political connections were allotted one room for two.

She said the hostel rules didn’t allow even a room cooler in such a harsh weather.

The lady doctors working at DHQ Hospital were also accommodated in the hostel as there was no separate facility available for them.

She said the complaints regarding room shortage and the housekeeper’s behaviour had repeatedly been brought to notice of the hospital medical superintendent but to no avail.

She said the other alternative for the doctors was to live in some rented accommodation that was not safe, especially for females.

Pakistan Medical Association Faisalabad Secretary Dr Mohammad Irfan told Dawn the hostel had only 12 to 14 rooms which were insufficient given the duty doctors’ number.

He said the hostel rooms were constructed about two decades ago when girls used to get admissions through allocated quota. However, after adoption of open merit policy the strength of the lady doctors increased considerably but nothing had been done to accommodate that increase.

He said the lady doctors had been assigned duties during Eid holidays when most of the private hostels were close. Nobody bothered to think how the female doctors would arrange accommodation during the period, he added.

He said instead of a doctor, the hostel affairs were being looked after by a housekeeper who gave good accommodation only on some political reference or gratification.

The DHQ Hospital had also a good number of lady doctors, but there was no independent hostel for them, he deplored.

He said the PMA would take up the issue with health authorities after Eid.

Hospital MS Dr Rashid Maqbool, admitting lack of accommodation for lady doctors, said after Eid a special private residence would be hired for them.

He said there were five doctors in most of the hostel rooms.

Denying charges of discrimination, he claimed the administration was accommodating doctors ‘on merit’ rather than any political recommendation.

“Whenever we try to accommodate a doctor (in a hostel room), the occupants start raising objections saying they are already congested,” he added.

Dr Rashid said action would be taken against the housekeeper if she was found misbehaving with any doctor.

Majority of doctors had no complaint of accommodation and only a few were raising hue and cry, he claimed.

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2014