The young doctors, nurses and paramedics strike at the Out-Patients Department (OPDs) in public sector hospitals across the province of Punjab entered its 10th day on Saturday against the privatisation of hospitals under the Punjab Medical Teaching Institutions (Reforms) Ordinance 2019.

Young doctors and consultants, nurses, paramedics allied health professionals are boycotting their duties on the call of Grand Health Alliance (GHA). The protestors stayed away from their duties in outdoors, operation theatres, radiological and pathological services in teaching institutions including Mayo Hospital, Services Hospital, Children's Hospital, Lahore General Hospital, Jinnah Hospital, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Punjab Institute of Cardiology in Lahore as well as other districts in the province.

The poor patients are facing great hardship due to strike in the hospitals. The representatives of young doctors have expressed concern over treatment meted out with them by the health minister Punjab.

The non-availability of OPD services prevented thousands of new admissions in indoor wards in hospitals during the strike for the last 10 days.

On the other hand, Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmeen Rashid Saturday paid a surprise visit to DHQ Hospital in Kasur and inspected provision of medical facilities to patients.

"Doctors are serving the suffering humanity; we are committed to providing best medical care to patients in all hospitals," she said during her visit. "We will bring about the real change in public hospitals," she added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019