KARACHI - The outpatient department (OPD) of the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital (ASH) recently remained closed for over two hours, due to protests against the killing of doctor Arif Mustafa Siddiqui.
The doctors, paramedical staff and nurses staged protest demonstration against the target killing of Dr Arif Mustafa Siddiqui. The protest demonstration was also held in Sindh Government Hospital Liaquatabad and Sindh Government Hospital New Karachi, respectively.
The protesters strongly condemned the rampant killing of doctors in the city and vowed to continue their protest until clear assurance of security was not provided by the authorities concerned. They demanded that; security of doctors should be improved and law enforcement agencies should devise a comprehensive strategy in order to provide protection to health practitioners.
However, Emergency Department of the largest KMC run hospital -Abbasi Shaheed Hospital remained open during the strike. The doctors later called off their strike and resumed OPD services after 11:30 am and patients got medical facilities during the remaining time.
Senior Director Medical & Health Services, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), Dr Salma Kausar said; The administrator of Karachi met with Dr Arif’s family and assured full financial assistance to the victim’s family. She said; the administrator also offered a respectable job to the wife of Dr Arif. “All genuine demands of the protesting doctors, seeking financial assistance for victim family, have been accepted”, she informed.