According to our correspondent, Punjab Health department has decided to take action against the association while senior doctors will likely to replace the young doctors.

The strike in outdoor wards continued on 12th successive day to protest against, what doctors call, the government’s indifference towards their demand of service structure. The strike has caused immense hardships for patients and their attendants, causing increase in the number of patients in emergency wards.

Besides that, The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) while refusing to condemn or support the ongoing strike called by the Young Doctors Association (YDA) said it supported the demand for a new service structure.

They warned the government against taking any action against protesting doctors and vowed to resist government’s efforts to “suppress” them. The association said it would resort to protests across the Punjab if the government did not initiate a “serious dialogue” to meet their demands.

On Thursday, the Punjab government decided to enforce the Pakistan Essential Services (Maintenance) Act, 1952 from today in a bid to foil the ongoing strike by the doctors in public hospitals across the province.

Under the Act, the Punjab government, through the supervising officer, the secretary Health Punjab in this case, would be able to take action against such doctors as failed to perform their duties. The maximum punishment under the Act was one year imprisonment.

The provincial government also mulling to deploy police at OPDs of the public health facilities from today.