KMC nurses protest against deprivation of allowances, up-gradation

KARACHI: The members of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation Nurses Welfare Association on Tuesday staged a protest demonstration at Old KMC Building for increase in allowances, time-scale promotions and raise in nursing student stipend on the patron of federal and provincial governments.

The protesters were led by the association’s President Karam Hussain and other office-bearers Shagufta Saleem, Routh Ashraf, Naveed Anjum and Nargis Qamar Abbas. The delegation of the Young Nurses Association (YNA) Sindh, led by its president Ajaz Ali Kelari, Abdul Wahid, Shahid Hussain and Rao Kiran also joined the protest.

The protesters were carrying banners and placards inscribed with different slogans of their demands. More than 200 nurses from major KMC hospitals, including Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Karachi Institute of Heart Diseases, Sobhraj Maternity Hospital, Spencer Eye Hospital, Spencer Eye Hospital, participated in the demonstration.

The protest badly affected patient care at major KMC hospitals across the city. The admitted patients had to suffer as wards almost remained non-functional due to the protest of staff nurses.

The KMC Nurses Welfare Association president told PPI that nurses sector had been badly neglected in Sindh province, particularly in KMC hospitals. He said nurses had been deprived of promotions, allowances, up-gradation and other facilities. The KMC health facilities have been facing acute shortage of nurses, while nursing institutions are functioning without instructors since long, he informed PPI.

He said the association delegation would meet Mayor Karachi tomorrow to resolve long-standing issues being faced by the nurses. He hoped that all pending issues would be resolved soon.

Later, KMC Nurses Welfare Association ended its protest demonstration after assurance given by the KMC officials.