Patients continued to suffer here as the strike of the Young Doctors Association (YDA) strike on Sunday entered seventh day. The young doctors of the three allied hospitals in the city went on strike on Monday and closed their outpatient departments (OPDs) to press the government to improve their service structure.
These patients suffered the worst as they are already suffering from sizzling heat and electricity loadshedding. The strike is being observed on the call of Young Doctors Association (YDA), Punjab, seeking improved service structure for the doctors of government hospitals of the province.
Owing to non-availability of doctors and medical staff in the government hospitals, patients are being forced to go to private hospitals and clinics for treatment. The patients and their attendants, while criticising the doctors' attitude, said that the doctors were only denying treatment to the patients in government hospitals and not at their private clinics.
A patient's attendant at Holy Family Hospital said that the strike was only affecting the poor patients who had no choice but to go to government hospitals. He said, the patients coming to Rawalpindi's three public hospitals (Benazir Bhutto Hospital, Holy Family Hospital and District Headquarters Hospital) continued to face difficulties in getting treatment. The patients visiting the OPDs, were informed by the doctors or ward boys about the strike.
Meanwhile, the YDA spokesperson told APP that there was no service structure for the young doctors and their seniors were being made to work in the Health Department in the same grade for long years.
He said, "We are demanding that a regular service structure for doctors be drafted immediately." He said a proper seniority list and a merit policy be made for transfers and postings in the Health Department.
The young doctors did not want to create problems for the people visiting the government-run hospitals, he said adding, " but in present circumstances, we will continue strike till our demands are met." President of Patients Welfare Society Sharjeel Mir said that the strike should not be observed, especially by the doctors and they should go for other options to get their issues resolved as the poor patients suffer great difficulties due to it.