PMLN To Back YDA Demands, Oppose PMC Legislation, Privatization of Punjab’s Healthcare – Ahsan
PMLN Fears PTI’S Incompetence Will Destroy Pakistani Doctors Like They Destroys Careers of Pakistani Pilots – Ahsan
PMLN Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal says the party will soon present a National health Charter and Provincial Health Charter in view of the modern day healthcare challenges exposed by the covid-19 pandemic and the PTI government’s inability to understand and run the country’s healthcare system.
At a press conference at the PMLN Lahore Secretariat after consultation with top representatives of the doctors’ fraternity, Ahsan said the new coronavirus has reminded even the world’s nuclear power that military might is irrelevant and insignificant if the country lacks the ability to deal with such crisis.
Ahsan expressed concern and alarm at the manner in which the PTI government has been steadily damaging the country’s healthcare system. He said it is beyond comprehension that the country is being run without its prime healthcare practitioner’s regulatory body the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC). He pointed out that in a blatant contempt of the honorable court, the PTI government disregarded the Islamabad High Court decision to revive and fully operationalize the PMDC.
Instead, he said, this government is trying to legislate the formation of a new regulatory body by the name of PMC which plans to implement policies and practices that are incongruent, inefficient and inapplicable in Pakistan. In Punjab, he said the PTI government seeks to privatize healthcare in Punjab that will put healthcare beyond the reach of the average Pakistan. He reminded Imran Niazi that Pakistan is a country of poor people and lower middle class dominates the demography.
He said the reservations shared by the Young Doctor’s Association with PMLN are extremely valid and the party has pledged to resist and raise its voice against this government’s effort to bulldoze through a controversial legislation. The party will also oppose the PMC legislation in the national assembly, he said.
The PMLN Sectreary General pointed out that PTI has disowned the PMLN established Post graduation degree for doctors, MDMS, which has jeopardized 4 years of hard-work invested by 6000 young doctors. The government is not recognizing them despite that they were trained in public sector hospitals under accomplished professors. He said PMLN demands that they should be recognized so that they should be able to serve the country during testing times.
Similarly he said 10,000 foreign qualified young doctors are being made to run from pillar to post meanwhile thousands of doctors who have cleared their exams and degrees have not been awarded licenses for over 10 months now which is not only jeopardizing their careers but are preventing them from serving the ailing Pakistanis amid a global pandemic of the new coronavirus.
Ahsan demanded that all these doctors must be given the certification, licensing and authentication needed to serve the nation. He said PMLN fears that this incompetent PMLM government would commit the same blunder regarding doctors as it did with Pakistani pilots, which would taint extremely celebrated Pakistani medical professional across the world.
The former federal Minister Planning said PMLN will use its strength in Punjab to help the young doctors get their valid demands.
Talking of Punjab, Ahsan strongly criticized PTI’s gross mismanagement, terrible governance and a total degeneration of the most populous province of Punjab and said that it is a dangerous path to tread. He question PMLN was gven the mandate to govern Punjab by the people of Punjab, a mandate that was stolen from the. Therefore, he said the party ha sa big stake in this province and feels that the 10 years of relentless hard work and building of Punjab n dots institutions is going to waste because of the disastrous PTI government in the province.
