Doctors devise a plan against security threats and negligence in law enforcement

KARACHI- Taking great exception to apathy of provincial government and law enforcement agencies to provide protection to doctors in Karachi, the different organizations of doctors jointly unveiled the future plan for protests recently.

The plan of action  and  protest plans jointly unveiled by Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Center & Karachi, Sindh Doctors’ Welfare Association (SDWA), Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA),  Medical Aid Committee, College of Family Medicine and Private Hospital Association  and all societies of doctor’s bodies leadership at PMA House.
President, Pakistan Medical Association (PMA), Karachi, Prof Dr Idrees Adhi said targeted killing of doctors is going on for more than two decades and claimed well over 150 lives of our colleagues. He said PMA as mother organization have been raising our voice to stop this brutality. He said 17 innocent doctors lost lives in target killing incidents in 2014 and four doctors had been killed in first 20days of 2015.

He said PMA knocked almost every door to get at least some relief, but to no avail. He said doctors have tried our best to avoid going for strikes and create hardships to the poor patients but keeping in view the ineffective role of police and upto a certain extent the law enforcing agencies and apathy of the present day government, poor doctors have no other choice but to register their protests.

He said now PMA in collaboration with different doctor organizations is unveiling its future protest plans, in first step doctors will observe black day with black armbands and hoisting flags at all public and private hospitals with complete closure of OPDs on 2nd February 2015. He said all general practitioners clinics will be closed on protest day.
Prof Adhi said: all doctors will gather at PMA House, Karachi at 4.00 pm to participate in fateha and candlelight vigil for all our departed colleagues. He said “We will request all doctors in Pakistan and all around the world, to wear black bands to show their solidarity.” He said civil society and all political parties of the country will also involve in supporting the doctors’ cause.

He further said in second step this one day protest will be extended to two days, then for three days and then every alternate day. He said if the authorities still remain unmoved, then the sit-ins and hunger strikes will be observed in close premises; like PMA or at different hospitals.  He said sit-ins and hunger strikes will be carried at public places.

He demanded from the government to act swiftly and feel its responsibility before it is too late. He further demanded that urgent announcement of support money for Shaheed doctor’s families of Rs 10 million, effective security for doctors, immediate arms license for doctors who wish to have one, permission to carry the arms legally, actions against all extortionists groups and kidnappers and send their cases to newly established army courts for speedy trials and justice.

He apologized to all our patients for whatever inconvenience they face due to our protests and hope that they understand complete apathy on the part of government on our problems which is the root cause for whatever is happening.

Dr Fahim Bhatti, Dr Nisar Ali Shah, Dr Ghulam Mujtaba Memon, Mirza Ali Azhar, Dr SM Qaiser Sajjad, Dr Humayun Furrakh, Dr Junaid Shah, Dr Qazi Wasiq, Dr Saqib Ansari and Ghafoor Shoro were also present on this occasion.