JPMC staff observes complete strike

KARACHI: The staff of the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) recently stages a complete boycott of the OPDs against a delay in promotions and the controversial Federal Medical Teaching Institutes (MTI) Ordinance.

The protesters, including doctors, paramedical staff, and nurses under the banner of the Employees Action Committee and the Young Nurses Association (YNA), took out a rally which was started from the Najamuddin Auditorium and culminated at the School of Nursing. The protesters also staged a sit-in outside the Administration Block.

The protesters chanted slogans against the federal government and the Sindh government against the Federal Medical Teaching Institutes (MTI) act and delay in holding the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) meeting for the promotion of staff members from grade-1 to grade-15.

Central Leader of Employees Action Committee, JPMC, said that the JPMC staff had rejected the MTI Ordinance of the federal government to run the hospital through the board of governors. He informed that young doctors have been working without deputation on the reliance of the Sindh Health Department. Staff members from grade-1 to grade-15 have not been promoted to the next grade for the past several years. Moreover, contract-based employees are not being regularized.

The protesters decided to end their protest and the boycott of OPDs after assurance from Executive Director, JPMC, Dr Seemin Jamali, and Additional Secretary Health (General), Dadlo Zuhrani.