SAHIWAL: The Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department (SHMED) has apparently failed to resolve the conflict among the teaching faculty, medical, and non-medical staff of Sahiwal Medical College even after a lapse of 10 days as the medical associations have set 48-hour deadline for revoking suspension orders against the doctors.

Meanwhile, all OPD and general wards services have been halted for the fifth consecutive day due to a joint strike by doctors and paramedical staff and only emergency services are currently operational at Sahiwal Teaching Hospital.

There are reports that OPD services in other teaching hospitals across Punjab are also halted to show solidarity with Sahiwal doctors. Reports said more than 800 OPD daily patients are struggling to find doctors and nurses.

In a recent development, Sahiwal Medical College Principal Prof Dr Imran Hasan along with 46 senior faculty members, submitted a joint resignation on Thursday.

Prof. Dr. Imran Hasan has also refused to take additional charge of Sahiwal Teaching Hospital medical superintendent as was ordered in a notification issued on June 18. The principal said he would not be part of the “split” between doctors and the hospital administration.

Sources said a joint meeting of the district chapters of the Pakistan Medical Association, Young Doctors Association, Young Nurses Association, and the Allied Health Staff Association was held at the conference room of Sahiwal Teaching Hospital. The associations set 48-hour deadline for the health administration to resolve conflict stemming from Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s visit to investigate the fire incident.

The joint communiqué demanded withdrawal of departmental action against Dr. MS Akhter Mahboob, the suspension of section 6 of Peeda Act against Additional Principal Medical Officer Dr. Umer Farooq, seeking action against police officers who arrested and assaulted protesting doctors, and a public apology from the police for arresting senior doctors and their baton charge on June 9.

This correspondence twice tried to contact Minister Khwaja Salman and Health Secretary Ali Jan to get their point of view but it was informed that they were in a meeting over the issue.

MPA Mailk Arshad and PML-N MNA Pir Imran said efforts were under way and the matter would be resolved soon.

Meanwhile, all major associations and societies of the medical profession held a meeting here on Thursday and jointly condemned the use of the blatant police force against medical teachers and other doctors, demanding judicial inquiry into the incident to bring facts to the public. The representatives from PMA, Punjab YDA, family physicians and many societies of medical professionals attended the meeting.

Published in Dawn, June 21st, 2024