SHANGLA: The doctors and paramedics of the District Headquarters Hospital, Alpuri, demonstrated here on Friday against the medical superintendent over extra duty hours.

The Grand Health Alliance (GHA) had organised the protest led by its president Dr Shabir Ahmed and Dr Sajjad Khan Opal.

On the occasion, Dr Sajjad claimed the newly-appointed medical superintendent Dr Rabia Waheed often remained absent from duty, thus marring the functioning of the hospital. He alleged that the medical superintendent and her husband, the incumbent district health officer, had occupied the official quarters of the hospital, thus depriving the doctors of official accommodation facility.

Speaking to the protesters, Dr Shabir Ahmed asked the MS to not make changes to the duty roster and let the doctors perform duty as per the rules. He said she should remain present in her office during the working hours to ensure smooth running of the hospital.

Later, Dr Waheed held negotiations with the protesting doctors, assuring them that their legal demands would be accepted. However, she made it clear that they would have to perform duty as per the health department’s policy.

When contacted, Dr Waheed told Dawn that the problem started when she changed the doctors’ traditional duty roster which they set as per their own convenience. “But as per the instructions of the director general health and the government’s policy the doctors would have to do the duty in the best public interest,” she made clear.

Dr Waheed said the doctors’ allegations were baseless because they wanted duty roster and other activities of the hospital run on their own whims that was not possible.

She said she resided in an old official quarter along with her husband, adding as the residence was near to the hospital she could easily pay visits to the facility at night as well.

In a separate development, five persons were injured when a car fell into a ravine at Chakesar Chowk in Karora area on Friday.

A Rescue 1122 official said the injured were provided first aid on the spot and then shifted to the district headquarters hospital.

Published in Dawn, June 12th, 2021