KARACHI: Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) on Tuesday demanded the government to exempt medical personnel including doctors and nurses from performing election duties otherwise the health delivery system will ‘collapse’ on the elections day.
A high-level meeting of PMA Centre and PMA Karachi was held at PMA House, Karachi. The meeting showed concern over the government’s decision to put medical staff on election duties.
“Paradoxically, the doctors from the tertiary-care hospitals are being nominated for election duties. It is a well-known fact that medical practitioners are always considered as the people of essential services and they already have a big responsibility to provide health care during any circumstances,” the PMA said.
“July 25 will be a very sensitive day. In the present situation, doctors are supposed to deal with not only normal medical and surgical emergencies but in case of violence or terrorist attacks, their services become more vital,” it added.
The PMA strongly demanded that all medical personnel, including doctors and nurses, should be spared from performing election duties.