PESHAWAR: The doctors in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa continued strike on Thursday to seek registration of FIR against Health Minister Hisham Inamullah Khan for his alleged beating of a general surgeon at Khyber Teaching Hospital.

However, the government termed the protest as a tool to block the health department’s move to transfer doctors to their native districts in accordance with the law and warned them of action if they failed to resume duty immediately.

Under the banner of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Doctors Council, the medics stayed away from duty places and worked only in emergency department throughout the province.

Registration of FIR against health minister demanded; PPP asks minister to resign

The protesting doctors asked the government to take action against the health minister for thrashing Dr Ziauddin Afridi, an assistant professor, at Khyber Teaching Hospital on Tuesday. The council’s call for closure of clinics didn’t receive positive response and patients were seen in private outlets by consultants.

Complete strike was observed at the hospitals and doctors held protest demonstrations and raised slogan against health minister and Prof Nausherwan Burki, the architect of Medical Teaching Institutions Reforms Act, 2015.

Dr Zia, who has been protesting against the administration for denying him promotion allegedly, threw eggs in the direction of Prof Burki when he was chairing a meeting at KTH on Tuesday. Soon, the health minister rushed to KTH and physically assaulted him with the help of his armed guards and police.

However, Information Minister Shaukat Yousafzai told a news conference that Dr Zia had insulted 85-year-old Prof Burki in total disregard for the local culture and tradition in which the elders were kept in high esteem.

“We invite the doctors to stop protests and hold talk with the government because the strikes are adversely affecting the poor patients, who are coming to seek free treatment at the public sector hospitals,” he said.

Flanked by Health Secretary Dr Syed Farooq Jamil, the minister also warned the protesting doctors of strict action if they failed to resume duty. He said that not all the doctors but a handful of them were behind the strike to jeopardise the health reform process. “The KTH’s incident is being used an excuse for protest but we would be taking action if the protest is not ended by evening,” he added.

Mr Yousafzai said there was no justification for strike because the government had already accepted the demands of doctors by raising their salaries and stipends.

“We have increased number of specialist doctors to 931 from 280 during the past few years in the province. In 1913, the province had 3,639 medical officers and now the number is 8,801 while the stipend of house officers has been increased to Rs62, 000 from Rs24,000 and that of trainee medical officers from Rs42,000 to Rs103,000 during the PTI’s government,” he said.

The minister said that under the four-tier formula, the government increased number of posts in BPS-20, 19 and 18 in the fulfillment of the longstanding demand of the doctors. He said that health professional allowance for doctors was enhanced to Rs140,000 from Rs10, 000 a month.

“Not only doctors but we have enhanced monetary benefits for nurses and paramedics as part of our plan to improve patients’ care. We want the doctors to work in their native districts according to the law and it would benefit their own people. Each and every doctor will work in the ancestral district for two years,” said the minister.

Meanwhile, PPP members in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly have asked the health minister to tender resignation and seek apology for misuse of official powers.

In a joint statement, MPAs Ahmed Karim Kundi and Night Orakzai said here on Thursday that armed guards of health minister beat and wounded senior doctors that brought a bad name to the lawmakers.

They said that PTI had promised before coming into powers to resolve all issues of doctors and provide quality healthcare system to facilitate the poor in the province but it failed to fulfil its commitment.

The PPP lawmakers said that it was duty of police to register case against the minister for misuse of powers but no action was taken against him and his security guards so far which proved that PTI leaders did not believe in merit, ethics and morality.

Published in Dawn, May 17th, 2019