The Young Doctors Association (YDA) Punjab has called a General Council meeting at the Lahore General Hospital on Wednesday to discuss the abolition of house officer seats various hospitals, the new service structure for doctors and the Punjab Healthcare Commission.
“So far, many points of the service structure agreement have not been implemented,” YDA official Dr Shabbir Chaudhry told The Express Tribune, referring to a deal with the provincial government last year to revamp service rules and salaries for doctors employed by the Health Department.
Dr Chaudhry said that a murder case registered against YDA members at Mayo Hospital, relating to the death of a child whilst doctors were on strike in support of a new service structure last year, had not been withdrawn. “The security situation [at hospitals] has deteriorated and there still is no specific transfer policy. All these issues will be discussed at the general council meeting,” he added.
The YDA staged a protest at the LGH on Monday against the abolition of 62 house officer jobs at the LGH and 199 in total in the Punjab. Some doctors boycotted their duties at the outpatient department and others protested outside the LGH.
“This hospital caters to thousands of patients, most of them from rural areas. This is one of the most short-staffed hospitals in the city. House officers are the backbone as they work round-the-clock and run wards. On one side the government is making tall claims about controlling dengue and improving healthcare provision, but on the other side the posts of house officers are being slashed. This will greatly disturb the patients who come here for treatment,” said YDA member Dr Muhammad Ajmal.
A YDA delegation met with the health secretary to discuss the matter on Monday. “The secretary assured us that those seats will be restored … but we have received no written assurances,” said Dr Chaudhry, who was part of the delegation.
“Reforming and strengthening the organisational structure of the YDA, annual registration and fund raising will also be discussed at the general council meeting. Doctors from all the YDA chapters will participate,” he added.
‘Cleanliness drive must be taken seriously’
“Come out of your rooms and do your jobs,” Postgraduate Medical Institute (PGMI) Principal Anjum Habib Vohra said on Monday.
Vohra set a deadline of Tuesday (today) for removing rain water from the hospital.
He transferred sanitation inspector Hassan Rizvi from Lahore General Hospital (LGH) to the PGMI after receiving complaints against him.
He also said the nursing superintendent and deputy superintendent would be held responsible for poor hygiene in wards.
These decisions were taken during a meeting also attended by Medical Superintendent Amjad Shahzad, the nursing superintendent and heads of various departments.
Vohra also expressed annoyance over unhygienic conditions in nursing hostels and parking lots.
He warned sanitation inspectors to improve their performance or face disciplinary action.
He divided the hospital into zones and told assistant medical superintendents to inspect their assigned zones every day.
He said cleanliness was not a temporary arrangement and should continue throughout the year.
He also directed the contractors working on various hospital buildings to ensure drainage of water.
He said officers and staff would be rewarded for good performance and poor performances would be recorded in annual reports.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 27th, 2013.