PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa doctor’s council announced a two-day end to their strike at the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH), but the OPDs operations will remain closed in Khyber Teaching hospital and Hayatabad Medical complex.
The announcement was made on Monday by the convener of KP doctors Council Siraj Ul Islam after Chief Minister invited them for talks on May 21. However, he made it clear that doctors will not hold any talks with health minister Hisham Inamullah Khan and asked for his immediate resign for allegedly torturing a senior doctor.
Doctors in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been protesting for the last six days over the alleged torture of associate professor Dr Ziauddin by the provincial health minister at Khyber Teaching hospital during a protest. The doctors have also accused the University Town police stations’ Deputy Superintendent of Police of violence against young doctors inside the police station.
However, the KP government is of the view that the doctors are in protest against the PTI’s healthcare reforms in the province. The government’s information minister Shaukat Yousafzai has said the medics are in protest after a number of doctors were transferred to serve in hospitals of far-flung districts of the province.
But the KP doctor’s council has rejected the Government’s claimed and declared it ‘media propaganda’ to counter their ‘logical demands’. The doctors said that their protest is against the high handedness of the health minister and privatization of public hospitals.
The Outpatient departments (OPDs) have been shut as a result of the strike creating immense difficulties for patients. Dr Sirajul said to facilitate the patients; the OPD at Lady Reading Hospital would remain open on Monday and Tuesday.
Dr Islam added that the next course of action would be announced after the council met CM Mehmood Khan on May 21 (Tuesday). “If there is any action taken against doctors, talks would be boycotted. Talks will also not be held in the presence of the provincial health minister,” said Dr Siraj.
