Patients at Jinnah Hospital in Karachi suffered as young doctors continued their strike for the second day on Saturday for non-payment of salaries.
The young doctors’ protest suspended outpatient department service which caused immense difficulties to the patients. Senior doctors also remained absent from duty further compounding problems for the patients.
Even laboratory services at the hospital were affected as it was not possible to obtain patients’ reports. The protesting doctors claimed that they had not been paid salaries for the last six months. They, however, said that despite their strike, emergency services were being provided as per schedule.
Jinnah Hospital’s administration held talks with the protesting doctors, but failed to convince them to end the strike. The protesters stressed that the Sindh government should immediately pay their salaries and allowances, otherwise the protest could be extended.