LAHORE: Young doctors observed a strike at all state-run hospitals of Lahore on Thursday following the termination and transfer of three medics of a city’s government hospital and alleged murder of another one in Gujrat city.

They stopped working at indoor wards of the hospitals, causing a great deal of inconvenience to the patients and the attendants as well.

Sources said an unpleasant incident occurred at the Services Hospital during the doctors’ strike when the chief secretary visited there to inspect the block that collapsed on Thursday. They said as he reached there, some YDA men misbehaved with him.Meanwhile, the office bearers of the Young Doctors Association (YDA) gave a 48-hour ultimatum to the caretaker government for addressing the demands.

They warned the doctors would extend the scope of agitation to the entire province if the demands were not accepted.

YDA Punjab President Dr Shaoib Niazi told media persons that an officer of the health department visited the Government Kot Khwaja Saeed Hospital, Lahore, some days back and transferred three young doctors as a punishment on the excuse of being absent from duty.

Similarly, the health department terminated another young doctor of the same hospital on similar grounds.

He said the health authorities reserved no right to punish the young medics over petty issues, saying the departmental action had sent a wave of resentment among the young medical community.

He said a young doctor was allegedly murdered in Gujrat city and the police failed to trace and arrest the attackers.

The two incidents prompted the YDA to go on strike.

Published in Dawn, December 1st, 2023