Nurses’ protests

On Wednesday, police in Karachi used force to try and prevent hundreds of desperate nurses attempting to draw attention to their grave concerns from reaching the Governor’s House where Prime Minister Imran Khan was present. The nurses have for the last week have boycotted duties at all public-sector hospitals in Karachi and also quit posts in emergency rooms for the past day or two to protest the failure of the Sindh Health Department and provincial government to meet promises made over two months ago. The protesting nurses were prevented from reaching the Governor’s House and four male nurses have now begun a hunger strike outside the Karachi Press Club in a continuing effort to elicit attention. The nurses had essentially agreed to a four-tier promotion system and health allowance in a previous round of talks with the Sindh government in May this year. Leaders for the nurses’ alliance say that no government official is willing to hear them or enter into dialogue with them despite the promises made.

This is a terrible illustration of the manner in which we treat nurses. As any medical expert will testify, nurses essentially run hospitals. Without them, care cannot be given to patients or the daily routine of hospital wards managed. At Karachi’s public-sector hospitals, young doctors and postgraduate students have been brought in to assist senior doctors in operation theatre duties and in tasks such as the dispensing of medication. Despite their indispensable services, the profession of nursing remains badly neglected in the country. Tragically, many of our best qualified nurses seek jobs overseas because they do not receive the remuneration and other perks they deserve. They also do not receive respect in society as essential healthcare workers.

Meanwhile, it is the patients who are suffering worst. The hospitals are refusing to admit them as doctors on duty say they cannot be cared for. The NICH is the only specialised government sector hospital for child care in the province. Sindh has seen similar chaos before in April and May this year, when strikes by nurses plunged hospitals into chaos. It is shameful the agreement reached at the time has been ignored by the provincial government. Pressure has been placed on nurses to return to work. But the manner in which they have had to run from one office to the other and then onto the streets to try and ensure the implementation of the agreement is shameful. The Sindh government needs to realise how badly Karachi’s hospitals need their nurses. They must also value the contribution of qualified nurses and ensure they are awarded the long overdue perks and benefits that had already been agreed to. Turning the police on them is simply unacceptable.