LAHORE: The Punjab government has intensified action against striking medics and terminated services of five medical officers (MOs) on account of misconduct besides issuing show-cause notice to three others for being involved in disruption of services to patients in state-run teaching institutions of the province.

The government has also initiated action under the Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability Act 2006 against the three MOs who got show-cause notices.

The action was taken against all eight medics on the complaints of heads of the teaching institutions and the senior faculty members who reported to the health authorities about their anti-government activities during the ongoing strike against recently enforced Medical Teaching Institutions Ordinance 2019.

The Punjab specialised healthcare and medical education department has issued a notification in this respect.

Of those terminated from services, four were from Mayo Hospital and one from the Jinnah Hospital, Lahore.

The MOs, who have received termination letters, included Atif Majeed from Services Hospital, Lahore, Dr Hafiz Mahmood, Dr Bilal Ahmad, Dr Mohammad Azeem and Dr Zafar Iqbal.

According to the show-cause notices issued to Dr Javed Iqbal and Dr Rana Arif of Jinnah Hospital and Dr Zahid Sarfraz of Nishtar Hospital, Multan, there were sufficient grounds to proceed against them under PEEDA Act 2006 for instigating their colleagues, nurses, paramedics, for disrupting OPD services due to which the functions of the hospitals remained suspended.

They were directed to submit their replies within seven days of issuance of the notifications.

Meanwhile, the doctors, nurses and paramedics continued their protest, took out rallies on the roads to impress the government to withdraw the MTI Ordinance.

The employees from Lahore General Hospital blocked Ferozpur Road while those of Services Hospital took out a rally on Jail Road.

Similarly, the doctors, nurses and paramedics from other government hospitals also lodged protests outside their health facilities.

Published in Dawn, October 29th, 2019