950824

Lahore doctors

observe

token strike

RECORDER REPORT

LAHORE: Doctors in the provincial metropolis observed a token strike on Thursday on the call of the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA), Lahore, to express their resentment against the indifferent attitude of the government towards their demands.

The doctors did not carry out work in the OPDs of almost all the major hospitals of the city. However, patients were given emergency cover in all the hospitals.

Doctors' demands include indexation of the non-practising allowance to the annual increases in the basic salary, allocation of 12.5 percent quota in grade 21 and immediate withdrawal of the recent increase in the prices of medicine.

Addressing a press conference, Prof. Dr. Aftab Ahmad, President PMA, Lahore, accused the bureaucracy of having failed to implement promotions despite the fact that 3400 vacancies are lying unfilled. He said that the bureaucracy had frustrated the positive attempts for the welfare of the doctors made by the governor, chief minister and provincial health minister.

In case their demands were not met the doctors would again go on complete strike on August 31, he added.