LAHORE, Oct 13: The Joint Action Committee of doctors and teachers will hold protest meetings and take out processions on Oct 14 and 17 to protest against the constitution of board of governors in hospitals and educational institutions and victimization of doctors.

This was stated by Pakistan Medical Association President Dr Yasmin Raashid and other office-bearers including Dr Sher Shah Syed, Dr Sarwar Chaudhry and Dr Dil Muhammad Mirza at a news conference here on Sunday.

They said the decision to hold the meetings and to take out processions was taken by the central executive council of the PMA which met earlier in the day.

Dr Yasmin Raashid said the meeting on Oct 14 would be held at the Dyal Singh College and on Oct 17 at the FC College under the auspices of the Joint Action Committee. The processions would be taken out after the meetings, she said.

She said a black day would also be observed on Oct 17 in the hospitals of Sindh, the NWFP and Balochistan. Doctors would perform their duties while wearing black bands there, she said.

Dr Raashid said while adopting resolutions the meeting urged the government to make Punjab health minister Dr Mehmood Chaudhry accountable besides dismissing him for bringing a bad name to it.

The meeting condemned the delay in the pecuniary aid to the families of doctors killed in Karachi in different incidents of violence and terrorism, she said.

Dr Raashid said the meeting hoped that the new federal and provincial governments would give top priority to education and health and ensure to provide these facilities to the people free of cost.

She said the meeting expressed its anger over her suspension from service. It hoped that the new assembly would shun all the present government’s policies.