KARACHI: Joint Nurses Action Committee (JNAC) on Saturday announced a province-wide protest and complete boycott of duties from October 22 until acceptance of their demands.
This was announced in an urgent press conference held at the OPD Block of National Institute of Child Health (NICH).
The press conference was addressed Afshan Nazli, Ghulam Dastgir, Abdul Wahid, Syed Shahid, James Watts and others. Speakers presented their 10 demands and requested Chief Minister Sindh and Health Department to accept and implement immediately their demands; otherwise, a protest in all hospitals of the province would be launched from coming Monday.
JNAC comprises Young Nurses Association (YNA) Sindh, Provincial Nurses Association(PNA) and Private School Nursing Association (PSNA)and raises voice for their rights.
Nurses’ demands include four-tier formula for nurses, health professional allowance be released throughout province, decision of Pakistan Nurses Council and Ombudsman Sindh regarding holding special examination to save future of 400 nursing students be implemented, stipend of nursing students be raised by 20,000 per month as equal to Punjab and KP, nursing schools be allowed DDO powers, announcement be made to establish a nursing university and funds be allocated and 14,000 new nurses be appointed by creating new posts.
Further, an additional secretary technical in health department should be appointed from nursing care, the announcement of Sindh Public Service Commission regarding positions of controller and deputy controller be followed in letter and spirit; selection during the election of Pakistan Nursing Council from Sindh be cancelled also a few of them.
“We have presented our justified demands to health department officials but were ignored every time. Nurses are considered backbone of health system but Sindh health department want to make it disable. You all know that when even close relatives and family members avoid to see a patient, at that time too nurses are providing them required care. Despite such services of nurses, we are exploited by health department officials,” nurses leaders expressed their grief.
All other three provincial governments are upgrading nursing profession and providing them with incentives. We have a recent example of KPK where their CM has approved five-tier formula for nurses.
In Punjab, implementation on 4-tier formula is at last stages. Even in Balochistan, recommendations are ready but Sindh health department has not taken any practical step to address our issues so far, they lamented.
Nurses leaders said it was heartening to share that there was no significant promotion for nurses in Sindh as majority of them appointed in BPS-16 were retired in same grade.