LAHORE, April 11: Doctors observed a complete strike at Services Hospital to protest transfer of ad hoc postgraduate trainees from teaching institutions of the provincial capital to district hospitals.

Young Doctors Association Punjab ‘reacted’ when the health department issued orders for the transfer of postgraduate trainees of city’s teaching hospitals to accommodate 691 newly recruited medical officers.

Of the 691 doctors, 436 are postgraduate trainees and 255 medical officers.

Senior doctors, however, described YDA’s protest as unjust and said the authorities reserved the right to transfer the postgraduate trainees after completion of their training to accommodate the newly selected doctors for training.

Protesting young doctors used their traditional tactics and ‘forcibly’ closed indoor and outdoor departments besides partially halting health care at the emergency, witnesses said. They misused their ‘authority’ as usual, misbehaved senior doctors and forced on-duty doctors to join the protest.

YDA Punjab president Dr Hamid Butt warned about extending the strike to other public hospitals of the city if transfer orders were not withdrawn within 24 hours. He threatened with closure of emergencies at all teaching institutions if the demand was not met.

A source said the health department had issued orders for the appointment of 691 doctors after a summary was approved by the chief minister. He said the summary was prepared on the basis of reports sought from principals and medical superintendents of teaching institutions of the city.

The health department transferred the PGs to district headquarters hospitals after they completed their training at teaching hospitals like Jinnah Hospital, Services Hospital and Lahore General Hospital. Now they were working on an ad hoc basis.

Later, orders were issued to accommodate the newly-selected doctors in hospitals.

Similarly, the health department transferred the medical officers who were working at teaching hospitals on a regular basis and posted them in hospitals other than the teaching institutions in Lahore. These doctors have completed a period of three years or so at the teaching hospitals.

The YDA Punjab leadership, however, rejected the decision of the health department and announced strike. They claimed the decision was taken to displace the leadership of the YDA Punjab or damage the association, as most transferred PGs were either members of the association or its elected office bearers.