LAHORE: Members of the Young Doctors’ Association (YDA) ended their protest in Lahore on Sunday and gave a 24-hour ultimatum to the federal government to take back National Licensing Examination, warning of a protest outside the Pakistan Medical Commission in case of non-compliance.
The PMC has made it mandatory for all graduates who are currently doing a house job or are ready for it to clear the NLE exam for their permanent registration. Both MBBS and BDS students must clear the test for their permanent job and medical practice.
The move has agitated the medical fraternity which has been protesting for the past many months.
But as things turned worse on Sunday, the police pepper-sprayed the protesting medics in a bid to stop them from marching towards an NLE examination site.
The association claimed the police strong-armed the protestors. During a clash with the police, several protestors fainted and many others fell ill.
Earlier on Friday, as many as 40 doctors were injured when police baton-charged them to stop them from entering the examination centre at Barkat Market neighbourhood.
Police also stopped them and made an attempt to disperse them which they resisted. At this, the police resorted to baton charge, tear gas shelling and water cannons.
