LAHORE: The Young Doctors Association (YDA) have decided to continue their strike in all OPDs in government hospitals across Punjab.

The decision was taken after the General council meeting in Lahore. Earlier a group of senior doctors also met with young doctors for possible negotiations but the meeting was inconclusive.

YDA also threatened to shut other departments and to halt the treatment of admitted patients if doctors of Army were appointed on Monday.

Advisor Health to the Chief Minister of Punjab, Khawaja Salman Rafique, said that all permissible demands of the young doctors have been fulfilled and now the government is including the names of doctors in the blacklist who are on strike who will be fired from their jobs.

Police have carried out a raid and arrested at least 45 doctors who were blacklisted, DawnNews reported.

The YDA are demanding direct grade 18th after job commissioning. They are also demanding health professional allowance to be on equal level with basic salary. They are also demanding that the salary of a post graduate be the same as that of a medical officer.

The YDA have been on strike for past 14 days in Punjab. Patients and their relatives are facing serious difficulties due to absence of the doctors in OPD throughout major cities in Punjab.