PESHAWAR: The police foiled the attempt of `young doctors` to disrupt services at the Hayatabad Medical Complex for the second consecutive day on Wednesday by baton-charging and evicting them.

Also in the day, a local court ordered the release of a dozen doctors, held by the police on Tuesday, on bail.

The Young Doctors Association members tried in vain to lock down the HMC for the second consecutive day due to the deployment of the police in large numbers on and around the premises.

The police arrested three doctors, while a dozen suffered injuries in scuf fle with the policemen.

YDA secretary Dr Ahmad Zeb condemned the police`s action against doctors and said the young doctors would continue with the protest and wear black band on arms throughout the province to show solidarity with the injured and arrested medics.

`Though we demonstrated peacefully, the police batoncharged us injuring many,` he said. Dr Ahmad said the YDA demanded the restoration of the devolved Postgraduate Medical Institute for the central inductionof trainee medical officers.

He also called for payment of stipends to around 500 trainee medical officers appointed in January and compensation to the families of six doctors who were killed on duty or died of gas leak in hostels.

The YDA leader also demanded `foolproof security` for doctors on duty.

Meanwhile, Prof Shehzad Akbar Khan of the HMC claimed that the police baton-charged young doctors for trying to drive patients out of outpatients departments.

In a statement, he said the administration had allowed the holding of peaceful protest but would foil bids to disrupt the smooth functioning of the hospital.

He said all departments of the 600-bedded hospital continued serving patients in the day.

`OPDs, wards, operation theatres and diagnostic sections operated as usual,` he said.

Meanwhile, the KP Paramedical Association condemned the police action against doctors and asked the HMC administration to hold talks with protesters on their demands. -Bureau Report