'Young doctors' strike unethical, unjustified'

Special Assistant to Chief Minister Punjab on Health Khawaja Salman Rafique has said that strike of Young Doctors' Association (YDA) in government hospitals is unethical and totally unjustified. He said that misbehaviour of doctors with principals and senior doctors and stopping them from work was improper and could not be permitted in a civilised society.
Giving a briefing to media about the strike by YDA at the committee room of King Edward Medical University, here on Friday, Khawaja Salman Rafique termed as baseless the claim of YDA that transfers of doctors were a part of victimisation. He said postgraduate doctors had been transferred and posted in the hospitals of Lahore and in their place 436 new PG trainee doctors selected by PPSC had been posted to complete their training.
He said those PGRs who were transferred had been posted in PIC, Kot Khawaja Saeed Hospital, Mian Munshi Hospital and Government Said Mitha Hospital and no one had been posted out of Lahore. He further said that a huge sum of money was spent on the education and training of doctors and those doctors were assets of the nation. Replying to a question, Khawaja Salman said that instead of taking strict action, the government was trying to convince the striking doctors and responsibilities had been assigned to principals of medical colleges in this regard.
He said there was also clear cut instruction of Supreme Court that doctors could not take part in any strike and the patients could not be deprived of their right of treatment. Special Secretary Health Dawood Muhammad Bareach said that Health department had not dismissed any doctor from service rather they had been provided jobs in the hospitals nearest to Lahore.
He further said that after consultation with law and regulation departments and approval of a summery by Chief Minister Punjab, postings and transfers had been made by observing all rules and regulations under Civil Servants Act 1974, which was power of the government and was a routine matter.
He said transfer of government employees after three years was the legal power of the government, adding that like other government employees, doctors were also a part of this system who should also observe rules and regulations. Special Secretary said that doctors could not refuse treatment to any patient by going on strike under the rules and regulations of PMDC and College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan.
He extended invitation to YDA once again through media to seek resolution of problems through dialogues with the Health Department. He said if there was any violation of merit, they should point it out so that it could be rectified. He disclosed that three hospitals of Lahore Kot Khawaja Saeed Hospital, Government Nawaz Sharif Hospital Yaki Gate and Government Said Mitha Hospital were being given the status of teaching hospitals by affiliating those hospitals with King Edward Medical University.