Action against protesting doctors condemned

LAHORE : Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA) condemns the recent use of force by the police against a peaceful protest of doctors and medical students regarding National Licensing Exam (NLE) at Lahore. "The imposition of the National Licensing Exam by the Pakistan Medical Commission on local graduates is a mistrust of its own approved medical universities."

President PIMA Punjab Dr Shabbir Ahmed, General Secretary Dr Iftikhar Burney and President PIMA Lahore Prof M Humayun said in a joint statement on Saturday that the use of force against the medical community is shameful as it risks its life in the Corona pandemic to treat civilians on the front line.

We strongly believe that the government should take all the stakeholders on board regarding any policy change. We hope that the concerned authorities would resort to dialogue with representative bodies of doctors and medical students rather than physical assault to amicably resolve this issue.

PIMA demanded the government to initiate a process of consultation with all stakeholders in the interest of public health and formulate a consensus strategy for medical reform to ensure better health of the people.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) categorically Condemn the brutal violence against protesting doctors by police in Lahore. Doctors and medical students were peacefully protesting against National Licensing Exam (NLE), which is their basic democratic right. Nobody can deprive them of this right. Police viciously baton charged, used teargas and water cannons which resulted in injuring dozens of doctors. Condition of Some of these doctors is critical.

In a statement issued here on Saturday, PMA (Centre) Secretary General Dr SM Qaisar Sajjad said that the violence against doctors is not acceptable. It is very painful that doctors are being victimized at a time when they are serving the nation as frontline soldiers in the war against coronavirus. People all over the world are paying tribute to their heroes but here the doctors are facing violence.

PMA advise the government to refrain from using such violent tactics to make medical fraternity silent. Doctors all over Pakistan are united and reserve the right to protest against this viciousness.