KARACHI, July 3: Major Sindh-based organisations representing the doctors community have reminded the Punjab government, as well as the federal and Sindh governments, that the out-patient services at all public sector health care facilities will be stopped, initially for two hours, by doctors from 6pm on Wednesday if the demands put forward by the Sindh United Doctors Forum (SUDF) are not met by the given deadline.

The SUDF had on Monday given a 48-hour ultimatum to the Punjab government for the unconditional release of all doctors arrested during their ongoing protest campaign in Punjab, immediate reinstatement of sacked doctors, withdrawal of “false and fabricated” criminal cases against the protesting doctors and sympathetic consideration of the demands of the Young Doctors’ Association (YDA).

Repeating the SUDF demands on Tuesday, Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Sindh President Dr Samrina Hashmi and Sindh Doctors’ Welfare Association (SDWA) President Dr Mujtaba Memon said that doctors across Sindh would boycott their duties at their respective out-patient departments from 12noon to 2pm.

Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA) Karachi President Dr Ahmad Salman Ghauri and General-Secretary Dr Sohail Akhtar have also condemned the Sunday police action against young doctors in Punjab. In a statement issued here on Tuesday, they demanded immediate release of protesting doctors and severely criticised the use of state force, torture and arrest of doctors. They said that doctors across the country supported their Punjab colleagues who had been demanding a reasonable service structure and their legitimate rights.

“We consider the government primarily responsible for the aggravated situation as it had delayed the acceptance of their just demands and provoked violence by using force against them,” they added.

They advised the Punjab government and the protesting doctors to settle the issue through peaceful negotiations, adding that the government should accept the YDA demands, release its arrested supporters and take action against those involved in excesses against doctors.The PIMA leaders endorsed the stance taken by the PMA and other associations representing the doctors community on the issue and said they would join hands in finding an workable solution to the whole issue.

Meanwhile, an SDUF review meeting on Tuesday decided to start a boycott of OPDs across Sindh from 12noon on Wednesday if its demands were not met by that time, according to the Forum’s convener, Dr Mohammad Ali Talho.

By Our Staff Reporter