PESHAWAR: The move of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to invoke essential services law to force protesting doctors and health workers to return to work fell flat on its face as Grand Health Alliance continued its province-wide strike on Monday against arrest of its members and passage of Regional and District Health Authorities Act, 2019.

The health department served show-cause notices on 65 employees, including 40 doctors, for taking part in the Friday’s protests in Lady Reading Hospital and more were being identified, according to officials.

“The R&DHAA has been passed after consultation with the stakeholders, including doctors. It is aimed at improving patient care,” Provincial Information Minister Shaukat Ali Yousafzai told a news conference here on Monday.

He said that the province was giving higher salaries to doctors than others as they wanted to provide better services to the people coming to public sector hospitals.

Most of private clinics also remain closed owing to protest of health workers

Patients suffered as GHA members including doctors, nurses, paramedics and support staff blocked roads near hospitals in Mardan, Malakand, Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu, Kohat and Hazara division, and stayed away from their duty places.

They demanded release of their detained colleagues and removal of Health Minister Dr Hisham Inamullah Khan and Dr Nausherwan Burki, the architect of the new law and chairman of PM Task Force on Health.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has invoked West Pakistan Essential Services Maintenance Act, 1958 for three months in an effort to ensure presence of staff in hospitals amid the continuing province-wide strike but failed to do so as services remained suspended throughout the province.

Health services also remained suspended at private sector as well as institution-based practice in the medical teaching institutions.

Only a few doctors turned up at their clinics in Dabgari Gardens, the hub of the private medical practice.

The information minister said that doctors were responsible for deaths of patients due to their strike.

“The government cannot be blackmailed trough strikes. Legislation is job of the government, not of doctors,” he said.

The minister said that doctors received lucrative salaries and did not close their private clinics for even a single day but denies services to poor patients in government hospital.

“The government can use other options including getting services from market if the medics don’t call off their protest. Doctors have gone on unprecedented protests,” he said.

Dr Salim Yousafzai, secretary information of Pakistan Doctors Association, said that government had formed parliamentary committee to address the fears of stakeholders regarding R&DHAA but it was passed hastily. “We will continue our strike till acceptance of our demands,” he said.

He said that they wanted action against police for thrashing the health workers and implement the inquires conducted by health department about irregularities in MTI on Supreme Court’s directives

Most of the alliance’s leaders are in hiding to escape arrests. The district administration, police and other law enforcement agencies are watching the footage of LRH’s incident on Friday and the ongoing strike to initiate action against them.

“Police are taking action against those, who resorted to stone pelting etc. Already 16 persons have been arrested. They have been sent to Central Jail Mardan,” Peshawar Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Ali Asghar told Dawn.

He said that more arrests might take place. He added that the district administration had to maintain law and order.

The government has also directed the MTI-covered hospitals to take disciplinary action. About 10 doctors, being treated in private hospitals, are also wanted by police.

“The MTIs have been running all services except OPD,” said an official. Due to closure of OPD, patients are seen in accident and emergency department and in respective wards to avoid confrontation with GHA leaders, who remain present to ensure that the employees don’t work except for emergency.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2019