PESHAWAR: Doctors at Hayatabad Medical Complex continued their strike on the fifth consecutive day on Monday, causing troubles to patients visiting the OPDs amid government’s reluctance to negotiate with the protesting medics.

All services, except emergency, stayed suspended in HMC and its affiliated Institute of Kidney Diseases (IKD) and other departments due to the ongoing protest. The patients, who came to OPD in the morning to seek treatment for paying Rs50, end up in institution-based practice (IBP) and get examined by paying consultation fee starting from Rs1,500.

Doctors, however, said that they had no option except withdrawal of services to convey their concerns to government. The protesting doctors have been demanding probe into what they call illegal appointments in the hospital.

The HMC administration said that it wouldn’t allow doctors and other staffers to disrupt patient care as health minister claimed that strike was called off. “We have held meeting with representatives of Young Doctors Association (YDA) and they have committed to end strike and ensure healthcare services in HMC and its affiliated institutions,” he said.

Minister claims the strike has been called off

Administration officials said that reforms were launched against which protests were held to halt the process. They vowed to implement all recommendations of MTI-Policy Board and government to improve patient care. Merit was kept supreme in appointments on senior positions at the hospital, they said.

However, YDA president Asfandyar Bittani said that their strike would continue as health minister didn’t accept their main demand to remove the chairman of BoG and hold impartial inquiry in the light of chief minister’s assurance given to them.

Meanwhile, a former hospital director of HMC has shown reservations over an inquiry committee formed by Board of Governors (BoG) to probe allegations of concealment of facts and irregularities.

He says that a five-member committee announced by BoG consists of junior officials, who according to law, cannot probe seniors as all the members have worked under him.

In a letter submitted to the secretary of BoG, he called for constitution of an independent and impartial inquiry committee by MTIs Policy Board and health department to ensure fairness and transparency.

He said that he had utmost respect for institutional accountability and never objected to any lawful inquiry but wanted it strictly in consonance with the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan and MTI Act. He said that he would extend full cooperation to such inquirers.

“Right to a fair and due process is a fundamental right and the Constitution envisages that every person, against whom proceedings are initiated, is entitled to have his case examined by an independent, impartial and unbiased forum,” he said.

He said that the present inquiry committee was constituted on the directives of the same chairman of BoG, against whom he had intimated authorities regarding administrative misconduct, abuse of authority, violation of law and procedural irregularities.

He said that any inquiry committee constituted under the directions of an authority, against which allegations of misconduct were already pending before competent forums, was a case of conflict of interests.

“Dean is the immediate superior authority of hospital director whereas medical director is an equivalent officer to the former and only these two can conduct any inquiry against me conversely, the officers nominated are administratively junior to me,” he wrote in the letter.

He said that the representation was not intended to question their integrity, competence or professionalism.

However, he said that an inquiry conducted by officers, who were administratively subordinate to the officer under inquiry, was inconsistent with the established administrative hierarchy and rules.

He said that the inquiry was unlikely to satisfy the institutional standard of independence and impartiality required under law.

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2026