LAHORE, Nov 7: Health professionals, who have been struggling for service structure for long on various ‘fronts’, finally won their battle on the road as the government accepted their longstanding demand on Wednesday.

In a joint meeting, all the stakeholders concerned, including the Health Department, Pakistan Medical Association, Young Doctors Association, Medical Teachers Association and the General Cadre Doctors Association mutually signed the agreed draft for the service structure carrying 54 demands.

PML-N senior leaders, including Senators Ishaq Dar and Pervaiz Rasheed, Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Health Khwaja Salman Rafique and MNA Zahid Hamid briefed the media about the agreement signed between the stakeholders concerned about the final draft of the service structure shortly after a meeting held at CM Secretariat in the evening.

Representatives of doctors’ major organisations were also present on the occasion.

Earlier, in the morning over 4,000 doctors reached Services Hospital. A majority of them had arrived from all over the province to stage a sit-in outside the Chief Minister’s House in GOR according to the schedule to press the government for the acceptance of their demand.

It was the fourth major agitation organised by young doctors since they had started a movement for service structure.

When the protesting doctors marched towards the venue and reached Shadman Chowk, the PMA senior office-bearers informed them that the government had accepted all demands and an agreement had been signed by stakeholders.

After having a confirmation, the YDA office-bearers ended their protest and returned to Services Hospital.

Ishaq Dar told the media the doctors and government representatives had finalised the service structure draft on Tuesday and the issue was in the knowledge of all stakeholders. He said even knowing the situation well, the young doctors under the banner of the Punjab YDA launched an agitation on Wednesday.

He said the government had fulfilled its promise it had made in the past and accepted all demands of the doctors.