FAISALABAD, Sept 13: The tug of war between doctors and the Punjab health department took a serious turn when the district government stopped payment of salaries to doctors posted at Basic Health Units.

In the light of new development, the Pakistan Medical Association threatened that doctors would boycott their duties and stage demonstrations all over the district. The tussle started when the health department launched "Punjab Rural Support Programme" introduced by an NGO to run the affairs of rural health centres.

The government reportedly signed a pact with the NGO for the provision of basic health facilities at the BHUs with the financial help of donor agencies. The PMA office-bearers claimed here on Sunday that salaries of 156 doctors working at BHUs had been stopped by the District Accounts Officer on the intervention of the district government and the programme's coordinator.

They feared that the doctors working in BHUs on contract would be kicked off from their service under the programme. They claimed that they had recently met the chief minister and health minister who assured them that no step against the interests of doctors would be taken.

They further claimed that the plan had been implemented in Rahim Yar Khan district but it failed miserably. Now the district government, without taking the doctors community into confidence, has planned to enforce it in rural areas of the district.

When contacted, programme coordinator said under the plan BHUs were to be given modern facilities to provide the best healthcare to rural population. The doctors working in the BHUs would work under direct command of the executive district officer and the district officer (health), he concluded.