RAWALPINDI, Sept 5: Young doctors association (YDA) on Wednesday staged a protest demonstration and staged a sit-in, in front of Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) and warned Punjab government to improve service structure and quash the criminal charges against the Lahore’s young doctors within two weeks, otherwise the young doctors will stage a sit-in, in front of Chief Minister Secretariat.

More than 400 doctors and students of Rawalpindi Medical College (RMC) gathered in front of BBH at Benazir Bhutto Road, where they staged a sit-in for more than three hours.

YDA Punjab Chairman, Dr Muhammad Haroon, Dr Umer Saeed, Dr Abbas Malik, Dr Junaid Abbasi, Dr Hasan Khan, Dr Asma Achakzai and Dr Nasira Baloch were prominent among the participants.

The protesters blocked Benazir Bhutto Road for traffic, creating problems for motorists and pedestrians. They were chanting slogans against Punjab government and health department high ups.

Some lady doctors and medical students were carrying placards inscribed with slogans “Give the doctors their due rights”, “Improve Service Structure”, “End 302 cases against doctors” and “Stop injustice to doctors”.

Interestingly, some medical students were carrying laptops obtained under Punjab Chief Minister’s Laptop Scheme and the bags inscribed with CM’s name and photo. They were also chanting slogans against the Chief Minister.

YDA members and medical students mess on BBH triggered a massive gridlock on the adjacent roads, posing hardships for the people.

As per details, around 11:00am more than 400 young doctors assembled at Fawara Chowk and staged a protest demonstration against Punjab government.

They blocked Fawara Chowk for traffic movement. The worst traffic jam was witnessed at Kashmiri Bazaar, Gunjmandi, Raja Bazaar, Iqbal Road, Jinnah Road and Liaquat Road.

After a three hour stay, the young doctors marched to Naz Cinema Chowk and dispersed peacefully.

During a visit to three allied hospitals by this reporter, it was witnessed that the young doctors abandoned their work due to which hundreds of patients at OPD faced difficulties.

YDA office bearers lashed out on Punjab Chief Minister at the provision of health facilities and said that the Chief Minister was making the lives of doctors difficult in the province, while not providing their due rights and the doctors were leaving the country and settling abroad.

“Punjab Chief Minister has double standards as on one hand he launched a protest against electricity loadshedding and on the other hand he registered cases against the doctors in Lahore, who were protesting on the streets for their due rights,” said YDA Punjab Chairman Dr Muhammad Haroon.

He said that the health facilities were not provided to the people as machines at the government run hospitals went out of order. “The sub-standard medicines are being provided to the people at hospitals,” he said.

Dr Hasan Khan said that the provincial government had failed to repair MRI and CT Scan machines at HFH and BBH for last three years.

He said that the chief minister should resign from the post for not improving the health system under its control.

He said that the young doctors were working day and night and in return they got peanuts as there was no service structure. He said that the young doctors were united and would not sit with peace until acceptance of our genuine demands.