LAHORE: The doctors and paramedical staff have continued protest demonstration and boycott of duties in the provincial capital Punjab strike against police action.
All departments except emergency and wards were closed at Allied Hospitals of Rawalpindi. The Young Doctors Association observed complete strike in Benazir Bhutto Hospital, Holly Family Hospital and District Headquarters Hospital.
President of the Young Doctors' Association (YDA) chapter at Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) Dr Arif Aziz said all departments have been closed except emergency ward.
He strongly condemned violent action of police and administration in Lahore. He said Punjab government is planning to outsource the basic health units of the health sector.
The doctors and staff working for years in remote areas are being relieved without allowance. He said outsourcing of health facilities will increase the financial burden on the people.
He said prices of medicines are already out reach of common people and now public hospitals are also planning to hand over the private sector.
Earlier, police used water cannons to disperse the protesting young doctors on the Mall Road, leaving two of the protesters, including president of the Young Doctors Association Punjab, fainted.
The situation got tense and a clash started between police and the employees of the public hospitals when the latter, under the leadership of YDA Punjab President Dr Shoaib Niazi, moved from the Charing Cross to reach the CM Secretariat.
