Young Doctors Association (YDA) of Federal Government Poly Clinic (FGPC) on Wednesday continued their strike at out-patients department (OPD) and Operation Theatre (OP). Young doctors are demanding a uniform salary scale across the board in Pakistan because "doctors are doing the same work and practically the same hours should be compensated the same way."
The disparity between federal, provincial and inter-provincial salaries needs to be eliminated, they demanded. The protesting doctors said that they were totally unaware of any decision of calling off strike by the Young Doctors of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), who on Tuesday announced to end the strike after holding meeting with Federal Secretary Health Nargis Sethi.
YDA FGPC Dr Muhammad Ajmal said while talking to media men out side the Poly Clinic that the decision was taken in the emergency meeting of YDA Poly Clinic on Tuesday night. He said YDA Poly Clinic will take any decision regarding calling off strike only if the government approves regular service structure for the young doctors and a 100 percent increase in salaries. "If we make decision to end our strike, our token strike will continue as doctors in Punjab are still facing several problems."
We will only call off the strike when we will see the YDA's demands agreed in written form, we do not believe in verbal assurances," he added. To this end, doctors from Polyclinic will participate in a march on Wednesday, from Polyclinic to the parade ground. He said the three major demands of the protesting doctors included regularisation of contract doctors, revision of the current service structure and raise in salaries.
He said that the out-patients departments were shutdown for a short time from 12 pm to 2 pm. "Since this would not affect patient care, the hospital had given the doctors permission to register a peaceful protest."