34 died in Punjab due to doctors strike

The talks between the Federal Health Secretary Nargis Sethi and the representatives of the Young Doctors Association (YDA) could not reach to a conclusion and the YDA announced that the doctors would continue the strike until the acceptance of their demands.The Punjab government asked the doctors working in the dispensaries of the district governments to report in the hospitals. The YDA’s strike entered 34th day on Sunday and hundreds of doctors handed their resignation to their seniors. Doctors took out a rally in support of their demands in Gujranwala.The patients are facing severe problems as they are not being treated in the government hospitals. Patients, who can afford, are visiting private hospitals but majority of them cannot afford the expenses of private hospitals and they are just waiting helplessly for the end of strike. At least 21 patients have died only in the Nishtar Hospital Multan, whereas deaths have also been reported in Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and Bahawalpur due to the doctors’ strike. Earlier, the Punjab cabinet had decided in a meeting that the doctors, who would continue to strike, would be terminated. It was also decided that new doctors would be appointed to give relief to the patients.