FAISALABAD: Young Doctors Association’s Punjab President Dr Maroof Vaince and YDA’s Allied Hospital Chairman Dr Kashan Arshad were transferred on Thursday on charges of instigating doctors to observe strike.

Both were serving at the Allied Hospital as medical officers.

An office order issued by Medical Superintendent Dr Rashid Maqbool reads: “Due to the ongoing strike and continuous absence from duty with effect from Aug 1 and instigating other doctors to go on strike and causing disruption in the provision of healthcare facilities to patients, Dr Maroof and Dr Kashan are relieved from this hospital.”

“The action has been taken as per decision of the special disciplinary committee and with reference to the secretary of Special Healthcare and Medical Education department, Lahore,” the letter reads.

Both medical officers have been directed to report to the SHME secretary for further action. A sources in SHME department said they would be proceed against under the Peeda Act 2006.

Meanwhile, Allied doctors have allegedly refused admission to a number of patients on Thursday, citing that the MS directed them not to receive any patient.

However, MS Dr Rashid Maqbool has denied the allegations and said all patients requiring admission are being admitted. If anyone is giving this statement, he will be taken to task, he says.

Farman Shah, attendant of female patient Nasreen Bibi, told Dawn that the doctor had refused admission due to the YDA strike.

“However, we had managed admission through a reference and now [we are] awaiting surgery,” Mr Shah said.

Iqbal, attendant of patient Suraya Bibi (35), said earlier the doctor had refused admission to the medical ward emergency, clearly mentioning on her referral form YDA strike as the reason [for refusal].

Iqbal said: “We succeeded to get admission with the help of a reference.”

Published in Dawn, August 11th, 2017