The Sindh health employees action committee observed a token strike in all major hospitals of the city on second consecutive day on Monday against the government plan to privatise big healthcare entities.
The token strike was observed in Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, Civil Hospital Karachi, National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, National Institute of Child Health, Lyari General Hospital and other healthcares. The OPD services in these hospitals were suspended for an hour.
The paramedical staff and nurses associations and doctors’ forum also observed token strike in different cities and towns of Sindh province.
Sindh Paramedical Staff Welfare Association leader Akhlaq Ahmed Khan said paramedics and nurses were fighting for patients’ right and there was no question to end the strike in hospitals until withdrawal of the plan to privatise public hospitals in Sindh province.
Visiting OPD patients of Civil Hospital Karachi showed concern over the hospitals sale out plan and said provision of health facilities to public was prime responsibility of the government. “The privatisation plan of the hospitals is not acceptable to them,” the patients said.
On the call of Sindh Health Employees Action Committee, a token strike was also observed in Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center where OPD services remained suspended for two hours.
The members of Sindh Health Employees Action Committee Haq Nawaz Sial, Ismail Jiskani, Abdul Wahid and Ameer Ali said that a peaceful protest would continue till withdrawal of privatization plan and resolving the service structure of employees. The Sindh Health Employees Action Committee leadership said a token-strike would continue across the province until acceptance of their demands. According to reliable sources, the health secretary called an important meeting of paramedics and nurses leadership on December 4 to discuss the lingering issues.
