GUJRANWALA, Jan 2: DHQ Hospital became a theatre of war on Wednesday; first some members of the Young Doctors Association were injured in a clash with the hospital administration and then some journalists sustained injuries when a team of young doctors from Lahore thrashed them.

Police arrested YDA district president Dr Kashif Bilal and his colleagues and locked them in the Civil Lines police station.

The YDA Punjab announced a strike in outdoors of all state-run civil hospitals till the release of their colleagues.

The YDA had announced holding a demonstration at DHQ Hospital on Wednesday in protest against health authorities aftertheir talks with the hospital administration bore no fruit on Tuesday.

The medical superintendent got registered a case against YDA district president Dr Kashif Bilal and his colleagues under 16-MPO and other offences.

On Wednesday, young doctors, led by their president, entered the MS office and, after squabbling, they manhandled the MS and clashed with administration officials. They used kicks and fists which resulted in injuries to YDA’s Dr Zohaib and Dr Kashif Rasheed.

On being informed, police reached there and arrested Dr Kashif Bilal, Dr Ehtesham, Dr Zohaib, Dr Kashif Bashir and their colleagues.

Later, a delegation of Punjab YDA office bearers led by Dr Javed Aheer reached the DHQ from Lahore for holding talks with the hospital administration and the immediate release of arrested doctors, but their efforts ended in smoke.

The situation turned ugly when another bout started between YDA team from Lahore and the local media people in which some journalists and photographers of electronic media suffered injuries. Three of the journalists sustained critical injuries.

The YDA team alleged that journalists had sabotaged their talks with the hospital administration. Journalists meanwhile condemned the attitude of young doctors with media persons and said they would take legal action against the visiting team members of the YDA.