LAHORE: Activists of the Young Doctors Association (YDA) forced closure of the outpatient departments of five teaching hospitals in Lahore on Saturday to protest against an incident of alleged harassment of a woman medical officer at the Shaikh Zayed Hospital of Rahim Yar Khan.

However, the Mayo Hospital administration succeeded in keeping its OPD open throughout the day.

The OPDs of Services, Jinnah, General, Children’s hospitals and the Punjab Institute of Cardiology continued to wear a deserted look throughout Saturday, the first working day after two days of public holiday on account of Youm-i-Ashur.

Closure of OPDs caused inconvenience to hundreds of patients, especially those who had come from far-flung districts of the province.

A group of young doctors did come to get all the doors of Mayo Hospital OPD closed and bar the paramedical staff, deputed to issue prescription slips to patients, besides the patients from entering the premises. However, due to presence of senior doctors inside the OPD they left the premises while raising slogans against the hospital administration and the Punjab Health Department.

A YDA Punjab chapter office-bearer, Dr Aasim, told newsmen outside the OPD of Services Hospital that the young doctors would stop working at the indoor wards of the public hospitals if doctors were not provided foolproof security under an Act of parliament.

“This is not the first incident of harassment of lady doctors. At least four such incidents have been reported to the high-ups of health department during the last one-and-a-half months. Every now and then attendants of patients attack doctors at the emergency and other wards. Enough is enough,” he said.

Meanwhile, Minister for Health Dr Yasmin Rashid said a majority of young doctors rejected the strike call by a group of young doctors in outpatient departments of government hospitals on Saturday.

“Majority of junior doctors along with their seniors continued examining patients with a spirit of service to ailing humanity by providing medical treatment to thousands of patients in tertiary care hospitals,” said the minister while regretting that a group of young doctors was making hue and cry for ulterior motives.

The minister said that both the principal of the Shaikh Zayed Medical College and the medical superintendent of the hospital had been suspended from service.

“In the light of a preliminary report submitted by an inquiry committee, Prof Mubarik Ali (principal) and Dr Ghulam Rabbani (MS) were found negligent and inefficient regarding the incident of alleged harassment of a woman medical officer. Further departmental action would also be taken against the suspended officers. An FIR has been lodged against the accused who has been in lock-up since the incident was reported. Harassment of doctors in general and lady doctors in particular would not be tolerated,” she said while regretting that after prompt action by health department there was no justification for strike.

PROBE ORDERED: A committee has been constituted, on the directive of Dr Yasmin Rashid, to probe the reports that a forceps was left in the abdomen of a woman during a surgical procedure at Gujranwala Civil Hospital.

According to a notification on Saturday, Dr Arshad Chohan (Professor of Gynaecology at King Edward Medical University, Lahore) would be convener while Dr Waris Farooq (Professor of general surgery at SIMS, Lahore) would be member of the committee.

Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2018