A score of patients visiting OPDs of Sindh Government Children Hospital, North Karachi, were once again denied healthcare services on Monday, as doctors and paramedical staff continued their boycott of duties in protest against a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Poverty Eradication Initiative (PEI).
The doctors, nurses and paramedical resumed their protest after Sunday break that entered its fourth day. The call for the boycott was given by the doctors and other staff on January 5, which was continued on the fourth day.
The hospital Sources told the news agency that the doctors and paramedical staged a protest demonstration against the non-governmental organisation for using delaying tactics in fulfilling promised made by heads of NGO with staff. However, the hospital’s emergency remained functional as per routine.
The OPD services remained closed from 09:00 am to 11:30 am. The negotiation with representatives of doctors, hospital administration and members of the NGO ended without any result. The boycott caused great inconvenience to the visiting patients.
A doctor told the news agency that representatives of Poverty Eradication Initiative (PEI), an NGO, assured the doctors and other staff that the salaries of doctors and lower staff would be increased by 20 to 30 per cent once hospital was made operational, but no promise had yet been fulfilled, despite the passage of over three weeks.
Earlier, health department, Sindh government and PEI had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on September 30, 2016, to run paediatric care facility under public-private partnership. The inauguration ceremony was performed by Sindh Health Minister Dr Sikandar Mandhro on December 15, 2016.
PEI GM Operations, Syed Gohar Ali Shah, while talking to media persons, said only genuine demands of doctors and other staff would be accepted.
Sindh Government Children Hospital Additional Medical Superintendent, Dr Kusar Fatima, while talking to the news agency, said the hospital administration was fully cooperating with the NGO for the betterment of patients and the institution. She said it was the responsibility of the heads of the NGO to fulfil promises made to doctors and other staff earlier.
