LAHORE, Feb 16: The health department has terminated from service another batch of 120 doctors of various disciplines for being absent from their respective duties for a long time.

According to the health department, action was taken against the guilty doctors following the laid down procedure. A total number of the absent doctors terminated from service by the health authorities reached 263 so far.

Earlier, the department had taken similar action against 143 doctors on Feb 8.

The health department said a majority of them had proceeded abroad for jobs and did not respond to the show-cause notices and the warnings. They were also alerted through advertisement in national newspapers.

It said the terminations had nothing to do with the ongoing hunger strike of the young doctors.

The Young Doctors Association, Punjab, also seconded the claim of the health authorities saying that the terminated doctors were those who were absent from duties and had proceeded abroad for jobs.