Doctors' strike in Punjab enters into 10th day

LAHORE: Grand Health Alliance of Punjab doctors continued their protest on Saturday for the tenth day across all government hospitals against the Medical Teaching Institutions (MTI) Reform Act.

As per details, paramedical staff and nurses shut down the out-patient departments (OPD) of public hospitals in all major cities, including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan, Rahim Yar Khan, Sargodha, and Faisalabad, to protest the proposed privatisation of the government-run hospitals.

In few hospital, doctors have also closed the laboratories as well, ARY News reported.

According to an official notification, issued a day earlier, the Ministry of Health has asked for a list of all doctors and paramedical staff who are not complying with their duties and are partaking in protests and strikes.

Grand Health Alliance, a union of disgruntled doctors and paramedics, has not been performing their duties as a sign of protest since past 10 days.

Letters and notifications have been issued to the Medical Superintendents (MS) and medical executives of 12 health institutes in the province.

The ministry has demanded names of all those involved in creating hindrances against daily medical operations.

Patients have been put through undue duress and tremendous difficulty due to the prevalent strikes and protests, added the ministry’s notification.