KARACHI: OPD services of Sindh government hospitals across the province remained suspended on Thursday as paramedical staff completely boycotted duties to protest non approval of health professionals allowance by Sindh Health Department.
The paramedics under the banner of Paramedical Staff Joint Action Committee, Sindh, boycotted their duties in Sindh’s largest teaching hospital, known as Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK).
AS a result OPD, Lab, Pharmacy, Operation Theater and other services remained closed.
The paramedical staff of Sindh Government Lyari General Hospital staged a protest rally that started from the Lyari Hospital and culminated at the Karachi Press Club.
The protesters were led by Babar Khan, Iqbal Ansari and others.
The OPD services in Sindh Government Child Hospital North Karachi, Sindh Government New Karachi Hospital, Sindh Government Hospital Liaquatabad, Sindh Government Hospital Saudabad and others healthcare facilities were also disturbed owing to the protest of employees.
Around 200 paramedics working in various hospitals of Karachi and other parts of the province once again gathered outside the Karachi Press Club and staged a sit-in.
The supreme council members of Paramedical Joint Action Committee Sindh Akhlaq Ahmed Khan, Suleman Memon, Shareef Palari, Ismail Jiskani and Qayyum Marwat were also present.
The boycott of employees badly affected patient care in public sector hospitals of Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Sukkur, Larkana, Badin, Thatha, Nawabshah and other towns.
The representatives of Sindh Doctors Joint Committee led by Dr Abdul Razaq Rajper, Dr Mohammad Ali Thalu, Dr Bashir Memon and others visited the Karachi Press Club. They expressed sympathy with protesting paramedical staff and demanded the Sindh government to approve the health professionals’ allowance for the paramedics.