KARACHI: Karachi Metropolitan Corporation Nurses Welfare Association (KMCNWA) members on Tuesday staged a protest in front of the old KMC building for an increase in the allowances, time-scale promotions and raise in nursing student stipend bringing their benefits in line with nurses working under federal and provincial governments.
The protesters were led by the KMCNWA President Karam Hussain and other office-bearers including Shagufta Saleem, Routh Ashraf, Naveed Anjum and Nargis Qamar Abbas.
Young Nurses Association (YNA) Sindh delegation led by its President Ajaz Ali Kelari also joined the protest.
The protesters were carrying banners and placards inscribed with different slogans of their demands. More than 200 nurses from major KMC hospitals including Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Karachi Institute of Heart Diseases, Sobhraj Maternity Hospital, Spencer Eye Hospital and Spencer Eye Hospital participated in the protest.
The protest badly affected patient care at major KMC hospitals across the city. The admitted patients had to suffer as wards almost remained non-functional due to the protest of staff nurses.
The protestors said that they were badly neglected by the Sindh government, particularly in KMC hospitals. They complained of being deprived of promotions, allowances, up-gradation and other facilities.
The KMC health facilities have been facing acute shortage of nurses, while nursing institutions are functioning without instructors since long.
A KMCNWA delegation is expected to meet Karachi mayor tomorrow (Wednesday) to resolve long-standing issues being faced by the nurses.
Later, the protest was ended after assurance given by the KMC officials.
