LAHORE: The Young Doctors Association (YDA) Punjab chapter and other health department employees continued their protest on the fourth consecutive day on Wednesday against the government’s decision to outsource the state-run hospitals in the province.

The protesters closed down the out-patient departments (OPDs) of different teaching hospitals in Lahore, staged a sit-in outside the Punjab Assembly building and raised slogans against the government.

A large number of poor patients who visited the OPDs at different hospitals were denied treatment following the YDA strike call.

The nurses and paramedics supporting the YDA protest said the privatisation of hospitals, rural health centres (RHCs) and basic health units (BHUs) in Punjab would render a large number of health department employees jobless.

There are reports that the health authorities tried to make alternate arrangements for the patients at the OPDs but failed to operate them.