Aam Olas EpisodesSocial Issues

Doctors’ Strike in Peshawar Leaves Patients Helpless | Aam Olas Ep #41

Keeping in view the true spirit of society and the teachings of Islam, Yousaf Jan Utmanzai, a former reporter of AVT Khyber, took a step beyond journalism and founded a social welfare initiative known as Aam Olas. The platform was created to support financially vulnerable members of Pashtun society through donations from generous and compassionate individuals.

Alongside this initiative, Yousaf Jan Utmanzai also runs a digital platform under his own name, using it to highlight crime, poverty, and unresolved social issues, bringing ground realities directly to the public.

Also see: Aam Olas Ep #38 | Da Plar Qatil


Aam Olas Episode 41

A Hospital Visit Amid a Healthcare Crisis

In Aam Olas Episode #41, Yousaf Jan Utmanzai visited Sherpao Hospital to cover a serious and sensitive issue: an ongoing doctors’ strike in Peshawar.

At the center of the crisis was a policy dispute. The provincial government, led at the time by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), had initiated changes in the health sector, including steps toward privatization. Doctors across Peshawar raised concerns about these reforms, warning that they could negatively impact both medical professionals and patients.


When Dialogue Failed, and Tensions Escalated

According to accounts shared in the episode, tensions escalated after guards associated with the provincial health minister allegedly assaulted a senior doctor. The doctor stated that he repeatedly tried to approach the minister to resolve the matter through dialogue, but his efforts were met with refusals and excuses.

The situation eventually spiraled out of control, turning a policy disagreement into a confrontation—one that triggered a city-wide doctors’ strike.


The Real Victims: Ordinary Patients

While political authorities and doctors remained locked in conflict, the true sufferers were the patients.

Poor and vulnerable citizens, many of whom depend entirely on public hospitals, found themselves with nowhere to go. Emergency cases, chronic patients, and daily wage earners bore the brunt of a system at a standstill.

This episode of Aam Olas shifts the focus away from power struggles and toward those waiting helplessly in hospital corridors.


A Call for Responsibility and Compassion

At the conclusion of the episode, Yousaf Jan Utmanzai made a clear appeal:
Both the government and the medical community must place citizens at the center of their decisions.

Healthcare disputes, he emphasized, should never come at the cost of human lives. When hospitals close, and services halt, it is always the poorest segments of society who suffer first—and suffer the most.


Final Reflection

Aam Olas Episode #41 is not an attack on any institution. It is a reminder.

Reforms require consultation. Protests require restraint. And above all, governance requires compassion.

Until dialogue replaces force and public welfare becomes the priority, crises like these will continue—and the common citizen will keep paying the price.

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