Plight of doctors
Farooq Bashir Butt
Saturday, June 30, 2012 - This is apropos of news item about the strike of Young Doctors in Punjab and deadlock of negotiation between government and Young Doctors(June 27). It is very unfortunate that people from this respected profession are protesting for their demands containing endless wish list. There is close relation between rights and duties. Doctors must demand what is possible and just instead of putting forward long list of “unrealistic demands”. They have already been provided certain incentives by Punjab Government last year. These so-called Young doctors are pressurising the government to succumb to their demands which are almost equal to half of the whole budget of Punjab Government.
The worst thing is that the medical superintendents of public sector hospitals failed to safeguard the rights of poor patients coming from far flung areas who were denied treatment in these public sector hospitals for the last 10 days or so but ironically there is no strike in these hospitals for private paying patients. It means that these young doctors are just punishing the hapless poor patients by their strikes whereas affluent people normally do not like to get treatment from public sector hospitals.
I am of considered opinion that government should treat all their employees across the board as doctors are not the heavenly creature affected by sprawling inflation rather their are other professions like Pharmacists, statistical officers, health educators, psychologists etc. are equally affected by dearness in the country. Why government is only looking to cut deal with doctors only. These “young doctors” are playing in the hands of a few senior doctors who want to blackmail government by these tactics. It is fact young doctors strike is putting rights of vulnerable patients at stake.
The medical profession is a noble service and the YDA should behave responsibly and only demand their just and reasonable demands in the wake of prevailing financial crunch in the country. These health managers of public sector hospitals have failed to safeguard the rights of common man putting the lives of patients at risk. I believe that Medical superintendents of public sector hospitals being doctor themselves have more sympathy for their striking fraternity than poor patients.
It is my considered opinion that there can be no improvement in public sector hospitals unless we appoint non-doctors as head of the institutions because the current medical superintendents are unable to regulate and control doctors of the hospital. Apartheid in government hospitals is deplorable and people are as a whole not satisfied with the services of these doctors. The majority of these doctors are also indulged in private practice and even some go to private clinics during their official duty hours because their is no accountability of doctors in the country. Moreover government should solve the problems of other minority professions of health department besides doctors across the board without any discrimination.
—Lahore
The worst thing is that the medical superintendents of public sector hospitals failed to safeguard the rights of poor patients coming from far flung areas who were denied treatment in these public sector hospitals for the last 10 days or so but ironically there is no strike in these hospitals for private paying patients. It means that these young doctors are just punishing the hapless poor patients by their strikes whereas affluent people normally do not like to get treatment from public sector hospitals.
I am of considered opinion that government should treat all their employees across the board as doctors are not the heavenly creature affected by sprawling inflation rather their are other professions like Pharmacists, statistical officers, health educators, psychologists etc. are equally affected by dearness in the country. Why government is only looking to cut deal with doctors only. These “young doctors” are playing in the hands of a few senior doctors who want to blackmail government by these tactics. It is fact young doctors strike is putting rights of vulnerable patients at stake.
The medical profession is a noble service and the YDA should behave responsibly and only demand their just and reasonable demands in the wake of prevailing financial crunch in the country. These health managers of public sector hospitals have failed to safeguard the rights of common man putting the lives of patients at risk. I believe that Medical superintendents of public sector hospitals being doctor themselves have more sympathy for their striking fraternity than poor patients.
It is my considered opinion that there can be no improvement in public sector hospitals unless we appoint non-doctors as head of the institutions because the current medical superintendents are unable to regulate and control doctors of the hospital. Apartheid in government hospitals is deplorable and people are as a whole not satisfied with the services of these doctors. The majority of these doctors are also indulged in private practice and even some go to private clinics during their official duty hours because their is no accountability of doctors in the country. Moreover government should solve the problems of other minority professions of health department besides doctors across the board without any discrimination.
—Lahore
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