Young doctors threaten Punjab-wide protests if Benazir Bhutto Hospital MS not restored

RAWALPINDI: Young Doctors Association (YDA) has called for Punjab-wide protests if the provincial government doesn’t restore the Medical Superintendent (MS) of Rawalpindi’s Benazir Bhutto Hospital, Dr Tariq Masood Khan Niazi, ARY News reported.

The provincial health secretary had removed Dr Niazi from his post on Monday, February 4th, and had assigned the additional charge of the Medical Superintendent to Dr Samina, a BPS-20 officer.

Niazi was removed from the post under the Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability Act 2006 (PEEDA Act 2006) over ‘exhibiting negligence’ in his duties.

The development came weeks after Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat made headlines for allegedly threatening the medical superintendent to send him packing for disobeying his orders with regards to transferring Dr Areeba Abbasi – currently posted at the emergency department of the hospital – to the skin department.

Dr Abbasi is the daughter of former Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) MNA Hanif Abbasi.

Enraged at the dismissal of the hospital’s MS, the Young Doctors Association (YDA) has given the provincial government a 14-hour ultimatum to withdraw the transfer orders.

Read More: Young doctors refuse to end their strike in Sindh as talks with the government failed

Upon failure to meet their demand, the medics say they would hold a protest demonstration outside the hospital tomorrow at 10:00 am, warned YDA Chairman Dr Shoaib Tarar.

On the other hand, General Secretary of YDA Punjab Dr Salman has said that the association has called for a strike in three medical units of Rawalpindi, and if the government fails to stop its ‘victimisation tactics’, protests will be spread from ‘Rawalpindi to Rahim Yar Khan’.

A recording of the call made allegedly by Punjab law minister Raja Basharat to Dr Niazi was leaked in December last year. The minister could be heard forcing the MS of the hospital to transfer Dr Abbasi to the skin department.

Basharat can be heard threatening him with dismissal from his post if he fails to obey the orders.