YDA strike leaves four dead in Faisalabad's Allied Hospital

FAISALABAD/LAHORE: At least four people have died at Allied Hospital between Tuesday and Wednesday, the two days of young doctors strike across Punjab.

Not only in Faisalabad, the medics of Young Doctors Association have left patients suffering at many hospitals across Punjab on the second day of their strike on Wednesday.

The doctors of the association have demanded that the provincial health secretary, Najam Ahmad Shah, be removed from his position and the Central Induction Policy, introduced by him, be revoked. They believe that since the health secretary is an engineer he is unable to relate to or understand issues of the health department.

According to the protesting doctors, Central Induction Policy discriminates between the ones who have graduated from government institutes and those who have received their education from private ones. Since majority of the doctors have graduated from private medical colleges, they want the policy to be revoked and an equal system be set for all.

Patients suffer

However, the strike has left patients in limbo at many health care facilities across Punjab, including Nishtar Hospital in Multan, Allied Hospital in Faisalabad and Sheikh Zayed Hospital in Rahim Yar Khan.

Moreover, the strike had caused deaths of two patients in Jinnah and Services hospitals of Lahore, it was reported on the first day of the strike on Tuesday. 

But the administrations of the hospitals denied occurrence of any such incident. 

Besides, it was not ascertained whether the patients were brought dead or died at the medical facilities.

CM Shehbaz takes notice

Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif has taken notice of the deaths that have occurred at Allied Hospital of Faisalabad during the two days of the strike. 

According to hospital sources, has ordered an enquiry committee be formed and report over incident be submitted within 24 hours.  

With additional input from our correspondents in Multan and Rahim Yar Khan