KARACHI:The doctors, nurses and paramedical staff of Sindh observed a complete strike throughout the Sindh province for their demands including risk allowance and provision of personal protective equipments (PPEs).
The health professional of Sindh under banner of Grand Health Alliance (GHA completely boycotted OPDs and general wards from Karachi to Kashmore on the fourth consecutive day in favor 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 protest demos at 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 doctors, nurses and paramedics of Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Nawabshah, Jacobabad, Sukkur, Larkana, Shikarpur, Kashmore, Dadu, Badin and other areas observed two-hours token strike.
Information Secretary, Pakistan Peoples Paramedical Staff Welfare Association Sindh, Liaquat Ali Mastoi while addressing the protesters at Civil Hospital Karachi said Sindh government has compelled doctors, nurses and paramedical staff to go on strike by not accepting the genuine demands healthcare workers.
He told that Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan government had announced special packages for healthcare professionals but Sindh government has failed to respond even to their genuine demands.
Senior leader of Young Nurses Association Aijaz Ahmed Kaleri, while talking to PPI, demanded for risk allowance, provision of PPEs, security insurance, Shuhada (martyrs) package for health workers, isolation wards for health professionals, health professional allowance, establishment of information desk in all hospitals, regularization of Gavi vaccinators and others.
He announced that boycott of OPDs and general wards will continue across the province till acceptance of their demands. However, doctors, paramedics and nurses will continue to perform duties in emergency and isolation wards as per routine.
As the GHA protest entered its fourth day on Thursday, thousands of patients suffered intense difficulties due to the shutdown of Outpatient Departments (OPDs) in government-run hospitals across the province.