PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s largest government health facility, Lady Reading Hospital, descended into chaos on Friday amid violent clashes between police and the doctors protesting controversial health legislation by the provincial assembly.

The clashes left over 15 protesters injured, while the police arrested several others.

The district administration in an unprecedented move had slapped Section 144 in the British-era hospital to ban the assembly of five people or more.

Also, the police brutally used force against protesting doctors, a rarity seen after the enforcement of the Police Act, 2017, when the latter blocked the GT Road-Khyber Road for hours with riot police looking on passively.

The months long bickering over the Regional and District Health Authorities (RDHA) Act, 2019, finally come to a head when the provincial assembly was scheduled to pass the proposed legislation, which the doctors believe is meant to privatise healthcare in the province.

Earlier on Thursday, the Grand Health Alliance, a grouping of doctors, paramedics, nurses and other health staff, had staged a protest against the RDHA at the Khyber Teaching Hospital and planned a demonstration at the LRH on Friday.

Over 15 protesting doctors injured, several arrested

However, the deputy commissioner of Peshawar in an unprecedented move banned the gathering of five people and more on the LRH premises under Section 144 to avoid any disruption in patient facilitation for a period of 10 days.

Witnesses said a large number of cops reached the hospital in morning and when the protesting doctors tried to get inside, pushing and shoving led to full-blown clashes in which the police tear-gassed and baton-charged protesters, who hurled bricks at cops.

The clashes continued for more than an hour and left over 15 protesters injured. The city police said eight officials, including DSP, were also injured.

The police and doctors blamed each other for rowdy and violent scenes.

“The protesters tried to force their way into the hospital violating Section 144 to disrupt facility operations,” SSP (operations) Zahoor Babar said in a statement.

However, GHA spokesperson Dr Hazrat Akbar told Dawn that the protesters just wanted to enter the premises to record protest against the proposed legislation but the police resorted to ruthless baton-charge and tear-gassing.

After the clashes eased, the protesters marched to the nearby Suray Pul junction, where they staged a sit-in closing roads for several hours. They dispersed peacefully in the afternoon.

SSP Zahoor said when the protesters damaged government property, the police baton-charged them.

“The protesters could be seen in a CCTV footage resorting to vandalism and pelting the police personnel with stones,” he said.

The SSP said two journalists, including a woman reporter of a private news channel, were also injured in the incident.

He confirmed the arrest of 15 protesters and said police would make more arrests after examining the CCTV footage.

Dr Akbar said the government had reneged on its May 21 commitment to address the doctors’ reservations about the RDHA Act.

“The government had formed a committee to address our concerns regarding the bill but that committee met only once. During that meeting, we handed over a draft legislation prepared by the doctors’ association to the committee,” he said.

He claimed that after the first meeting, the committee remained dormant and only two days ago, the doctors learned that the government was planning to get its draft legislation approved by the assembly, forcing them to resume protest.

Dr Akbar said if the government did not met their five demands, including the release of arrested doctors, registration of cases against Dr Nosherwan Burki and health minister Dr Hisham Inamullah, reversal of the RDHA Law, end to the role of Dr Burki in KP’s health sector, and removal of the health minister within 24 hours, they would boycott duty, including emergency services, all over the province.

“Everyone in KP, including the chief minister, health minister and health secretary, is powerless. Dr Burki is calling the shots in the health sector of the province. In this situation, we are not ready to talk to the government,” he said.

RDHA Bill

The RDHA had declared existing civil servant cadre as dying cadre and it shall continue till the retirement of last civil servant, thereafter, the posts shall abolish and RHA may create and fill such posts in a manner prescribed by regulations

Section 11 (2) empowers health department to rationalize existing civil servants by transferring and posting them to health facilities in their respective districts of domiciles on need basis.

Services of existing employees undergoing postgraduate medical training after completion of training will be placed at the disposal of RHA concerned for further adjustment in respective district of domicile, subject to availability of posts.

At divisional level powerful regional health authorities would be setup, headed by a chairperson and would provide strategic guidance &approve budget and appointments to health facilities in respective region.

At district level district health authorities would be setup and be headed by CEOs appointed by RHAs and it will be responsible for all government health facilities to manage and supervise these facilities in the district.

The CM will have the powers to dissolve RHAs, while the minister can do the same with DHAs, while the health minister will head the Provincial Health Policy Board to make policies, rules and laws and set directions for RHAs.

Meanwhile, the Awami National Party condemned the baton-charge and arrests of doctors.

In a statement, ANP central president Asfandyar Wali Khan said the government should listen to the doctors’ valid demands.

He said it was the right of every citizen to protest and that right couldn’t be suppressed by violence.

Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2019