The management of different government hospitals has beefed up security measures in their respective hospitals following reports of threats given by protesting young doctors to those who were being recruited to ensure smooth running of affairs of health institutions.
Policemen in uniform have also been deployed to maintain law & order situation while the doctors who were being recruited after strike by the young doctors have been ensured complete security. It may be noted that Young Doctors Association (YDA) President Hamid Butt had already declared that "PCO Doctors" being recruited in their place are not acceptable.
The strike of YDA continued for the 37th day all over the province of Punjab. The government had already announced that it would not accept any demand of protesting doctors unless they call off their strike. The stubborn attitude both on the part of doctors observing strike and government is causing hardships for poor patients who had to run from pillar to post to get treatment facilities. At present shortage of doctors is the main issue for the poor patients.
The poor patients are real sufferers who are cursing the government as well as doctors. "The way adopted by the doctors for pay increase is against the spirit of this noble profession. Those who had lust for money need not to opt medical profession," a senior professor told Business Recorder. According to him, the attitude of protesting doctors in unacceptable and they need to mend their ways.
The normal operations in the hospitals have been stopped while outdoor, indoor as well as emergency are working below average capacity. Young Doctors Association (YDA) claimed to have received 5,500 resignations from young doctors so far, which would be presented to the Punjab Government soon.
On the other hand, a spokesman of health department said the process of treatment of patients in outdoor and emergency wards of teaching hospitals continued due to alternate arrangements made by Provincial Health Department by induction of new doctors. As many as 11,939 patients were given medical assistance in outdoor wards 4,913 patients were treated in the emergency wards while 218 patients were admitted in emergency wards and 44 patients were operated in indoors besides admitting 743 patients.
According to details released by the Health Department, 1,037 patients came in emergency ward, 1,378 in outdoor and 213 patients were admitted in Mayo Hospital. Similarly 474 patients in emergency and 350 patients in outdoor were treated in Services Hospital while 34 patients were operated in emergency. In Jinnah Hospital, 630 patients in emergency and 380 outdoor patients were provided medical treatment while 33 operations were also performed in emergency and 52 patients were admitted. In Ganga Ram Hospital, 210 patients in emergency, 514 patients in outdoor department were treated while one patient was operated in emergency besides admitting 26 patients. In the emergency ward of Lahore General Hospital, 271 patients were provided medical treatment and 50 patients were operated.
In Punjab Institute of Cardiology as many as 70 patients in emergency ward and 1,631 outdoor patients were treated while ten patients were admitted. Similarly, 420 patients in emergency, 400 outdoor patients were treated in Children Hospital while 70 patients were admitted and five emergency operations were also carried out. As many as 181 emergency patients and 830 outdoor patients were treated in Holy Family Hospital Rawalpindi while 43 patients were admitted there. In emergency ward of Benazir Bhutto Hospital, 235 patients in emergency and 910 outdoor patients were treated while 35 patients were admitted while 16 emergency operations were also carried out. In district headquarters hospital Rawalpindi, as many as 100 emergency patients, 624 outdoor patients were provided medical treatment and 20 patients were admitted while nine operations were carried out.
According to a spokesman of Punjab Health Department, 36 emergency patients and 300 outdoor patients were provided medical treatment in Allied Hospital Faisalabad while 192 patients were admitted and three operations were performed. In District Headquarters Hospital Faisalabad 34 emergency and 1379 outdoor patients were treated while 72 patients were admitted and 38 emergency operations were performed. As many as 332 emergency and 1,053 outdoor patients came for medical treatment and five patients were operated in Sh. Zayed Hospital Rahim Yar Khan. In Nishtar Hospital Multan, 173 emergency and 205 outdoor patients were provided treatment and 41 patients were operated.
Similarly, 35 emergency and 250 outdoor patients were provided medical treatment in Children Hospital Multan while ten patients were admitted and six were operated there. 675 patients were provided treatment in emergency, 2068 in outdoor of Bahawal Victoria Hospital Bahawalpur while 21 operations were also conducted in emergency.