Patients suffer as Nishtar Hospital doctors observe strike

MULTAN: Doctors, nurses and paramedics observed complete strike at Nishtar Hospital and OPD remained closed on the call of the Grand Health Alliance (GHA) on Friday.

The patients came from the city and far flung areas got disappointed after they found OPD closed and many moved to private hospitals and paid heavy fees for treatment and diagnosis.

The patients had to endure longer wait times for medical check-ups at OPDs due to the absence of medical practitioners who were staying away from departments, operation theaters, wards, and emergency rooms. Muhammad Ismael, a retired headmaster who was unable to receive his check-up at OPD, highlighted the ongoing issue of healthcare worker strikes.

The female patients faced more difficulties due to the strike of doctors. Some female patients came to Nishtar Hospital to get their free medicines from OPD but they failed to be entertained. Patients appealed the government resolution of controversy between the government and doctors.

The Grand Health Alliance vowed to continue their protest and OPD would close every Friday in the first phase.

The doctors said Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz suspended doctors on the charge of holding them responsible for the spread of HIV without conducting a proper inquiry. Doctors said dialysis machines are not the only reason for the spread of HIV. They said they are running the dialysis unit on a self-help basis through donations because the government is not fulfilling its obligations.

Doctors said the government had provided the last dialysis machine in 2009 which had completed its 40,000 hours working. The doctors by their efforts donated dialysis machines from philanthropists reaching 29 numbers then how doctors can spread HIV.

The doctors said dialysis is generally considered a low-risk setting for HIV transmission. The dialysis machines were highly sterilized at the nephrology ward of Nishtar. Neither the previous history of patients sought tested HIV positive nor held doctors responsible for the spread of HIV.

The Nephrology Society of Pakistan has declared that dialysis machines are not the only cause of HIV spread.

Two killed over enmity: Two people were killed during a brawl between two groups over enmity on Kot Gujran Budhlaq Road on Friday.Reportedly, three people were injured when they attacked each other with axes over enmity. The deceased were identified as Mansha and Amjad while Muhammad Shoaib sustained serious injured during the brawl. Earlier, several people from Gujjar community came to occupy Master Rafiq’ land. To it, the fight started which claimed two lives.

CM’s green tractor scheme: A ceremony was held in the office of Deputy Director Agriculture Multan to distribute tractors among the successful farmers through a lottery under Chief Minister Punjab’s Green Tractors Programme. Addressing the ceremony, former MPA Rana Ijaz Ahmed Noon lauded the Chief Minister’s Green Tractors Programme as a significant step towards agricultural development. He highlighted the substantial allocation of Rs 30 billion and the generous per-tractor subsidy of Rs 1 million, unprecedented in scale. Rana Ijaz emphasised the transparency of the tractor lottery process and its potential to drive agricultural mechanisation in the province.