Third day of strike by doctors and nurses, patients suffer

PT Report

Gilgit, December 28: Doctors and paramedical staff at all District Headquarters Hospitals across Gilgit – Baltistan are on strike for the past the days, in protest against detention of their colleagues at a Skardu hospital on charges of ‘criminal negligence’.

Some patients had died at the Skardu hospital, ‘due to negligence of the doctors’, as is being alleged.

GB Health Minister and other leaders have been trying to pacify the medical professionals and convince them to resume their duties. However, the doctors’ association is not ready to listen until their demand of releasing the paramedical staff and annulment of criminal cases against doctors.

Talking to the protesters today in Gilgit, GB Health Minister said that the detained practitioners will be released if there has been any injustice with them. He assured the protesters that the government will not allow injustice to happen to anyone.

The Association believes that the  doctors and nurses have been detained without any investigation on the basis of political pressure.

Only emergency cases are being attended by the doctors and paramedical staff.