Punjab doctors call off strike after 14 days

LAHORE: Following the Lahore High Court’s orders, the Young Doctors Association (YDA) in Punjab has called off their strike after 14 days.

The Young Doctors Association (YDA) has been on strike across government hospitals in Punjab since June 15 after some doctors were detained on the pretext of fire incident in a teaching hospital of Sahiwal.

A lengthy discussion took place in the meeting of the YDA General Council held late at night, and it was decided that the Health Department would take remedial actions, for which protection would be sought from the court.

It was decided in the meeting that YDA would file legitimate demands in the court and demand a judicial inquiry into the Sahiwal incident.

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President of the Young Doctors Association, Dr. Shoaib Niazi, said they are ending their ongoing strike for a day. We will appear before the LHC today to present our stance, he added.

The sources said that YDA had been assured by the court of lifting the suspension imposed on the doctors and discussing their extension.

During Thursday’s hearing, Acting Chief Justice Shujaat Ali Khan of the Lahore High Court expressed concern upon seeing the doctors in the court, remarking that doctors should be in hospitals, not in courts.

Acting Chief Justice Shujaat Ali Khan asked them to perform their duties and provide a guarantee that they would end the strike.

Justice Shujaat Ali remarked that Punjab is the largest province, with a population of 120 million, and doctors and engineers are assets to the country. He emphasized that this was not a monarchy or the Mughal era, and that doctors will be provided with all kinds of protection.