Islamabad, May 2, 2025: The Punjab chapter of the Young Doctors Association (YDA) has issued a firm warning: starting Monday, they plan to suspend indoor services at all government hospitals across the province.
This move comes after the Punjab health department announced it will hire daily-wage doctors to maintain hospital operations and, notably, terminated 12 more young doctors.
In a major step, the health department has already revoked all approved leave for doctors and nurses.
At a recent press conference in Lahore, YDA Punjab leaders declared that their province-wide protest is escalating, citing the suspensions and dismissals of young healthcare staff.
They made it clear they are undeterred by the department’s punishments, police intimidation, or arrests.
The protest is gaining momentum, with senior figures from the Punjab Nurses Association (PNA) and the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) stepping forward in support of the young doctors.
For the past ten days, YDA had already closed outpatient department (OPD) services at several public hospitals, prompting the government to terminate 17 doctors and nurses for refusing patient care.
YDA Punjab chairman Dr. Salman Haseeb informed reporters that Lahore police have registered two cases against over 400 hospital employees who were peacefully protesting the outsourcing of healthcare facilities.
He accused police of using violence and making unlawful arrests, including detaining YDA leaders. Dr. Haseeb condemned these actions, emphasizing that the healthcare workers have a lawful right to protest for their genuine demands.
Both the YDA and the nurses’ representatives appealed directly to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, asking for immediate intervention and a resolution through dialogue.
They also claimed that certain health department insiders were misleading the Punjab government by misrepresenting the protesters’ demands.
Dr. Haseeb confirmed that unless the government accepts their demands, all public hospitals will halt indoor services from Monday.
Reports indicate that more than 30 young doctors and nurses have been dismissed so far over the OPD shutdown.
A senior official from Rawalpindi Medical University revealed that emergency meetings have been held with key hospitals like Holy Family Hospital and Benazir Bhutto Hospital to plan for the looming service disruption.
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Meanwhile, Dr. Aarif Aziz, YDA Rawalpindi president, said he was terminated, and the association’s secretary general was suspended.
The YDA insists their protest is not about pay but about stopping the privatization of healthcare, which they believe will harm affordable treatment, degrade medical education, and worsen doctors’ working conditions.
