ABBOTTABAD, Feb 21: The community of doctors in the Hazara division has decided to resist the government’s decision to ban their private practice.

The decision was taken at a meeting, held here on Thursday and attended by almost all the senior doctors of the division.

The doctors decided to resist the ban on private practice at all costs. They formed a joint action committee, comprising Dr Ghulam Nabi, Dr Shamim Anwar, Dr Imranullah and Dr Aziz-ur-Rehman.

The committee will have the full support of Dr Tariq Mufti, Dr Mer Dil Wazir, Dr Jaffar Khan, Dr Kareem Saeed, Dr Alam Zeb, Dr Zai-ur-Rehman, Dr Rehman Ghani and Dr Abdur Rab.

A senior doctor remarked that the decision would reduce the burden of the poor patients, but feared that corruption by Ayub Medical Complex Hospital’s para-medical staff and its accounts department employees, who charged higher fees from the patients, would remain unchecked and only the doctors would “receive lessor share while others will be beneficiaries.”

Another doctor asked the authorities concerned why doctors were not allowed to do private practice and make money as other professionals, including engineers, business consultants and lawyers, did.

After Peshawar, Abbottabad is the second biggest station, where seasoned and experienced doctors are working for the 1,000-bedded Ayub Medical Complex Hospital and the Ayub Medical College.

The AMCH is considered to be the main hospital of the entire Northern Areas and the Hazara division. Almost all units exist in the hospital.

The proposal to impose ban on the private practice of doctors is very old, but the previous governments could not dare take the decision.

Major-Gen (retd) Pervez Akhtar Butt in his directive to the doctors has asked to follow the decision which will come into force on March 1.