Healthcare workers observe complete strike in Sindh

KARACHI: The doctors, nurses, and paramedical staff of Sindh observed a complete strike across the Sindh province demanding risk allowance and the provision of personal protective equipment (PPEs), amongst other things.

The health professionals of Sindh, under the banner of the Grand Health Alliance (GHA), completely boycotted OPDs and general wards from Karachi to Kashmore on its fourth consecutive day in favour of their demands.

The protesters were led by Chairman, GHA, Dr Mehboob Noonari, Syed Shahid Iqbal, Heera Lal, Ghazi Jaan Abro, Aijaz Kaleri, Akhlaq Ahmed Khan, Sharif Palari, Liaquat Ali Mastoi, Sharif Palari, Atta Hussain Rajper, Arshad Shah, and others.

The GHA arranged the protest at the Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, National Institute of Child Health, Sindh Government Lyari General Hospital, Sindh Government Hospital Liaquatabad, Sindh Government Hospital, Qatar Hospital, and others health facilities of Karachi.

Similarly, the doctor and paramedics of Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Nawabshah, Jacobabad, Sukkur, Larkana, Kashmore, Dadu, Badin, and other areas also observed a two-hour taken strike.

Information Secretary, Pakistan Peoples Paramedical Staff Welfare Association Sindh, Liaquat Ali Mastoi, while addressing the protesters at Civil Hospital Karachi, said that the Sindh government had compelled doctors, nurses, and paramedical staff to go on strike by not accepting genuine demands.

He said that Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Baltistan governments had announced special packages for healthcare professionals, but the Sindh government failed to respond to their genuine demands.

The senior leader of the Young Nurses Association, Aijaz Ahmed Kaleri, demanded risk allowance, the provision of PPEs, a security insurance bill, a Shuhada (martyrs) package for health workers, isolation wards for health professionals, health professional allowance, the establishment of an information desk in all hospitals, regularization of Gavi vaccinators, and others.

He announced that the boycott of OPDs and general wards would continue across the province until their demands are accepted. Doctors, paramedics, and nurses will continue to perform duties in the emergency and isolation wards as per routine.

-MN Report