Health employees block road in Lakki to protest reforms

LAKKI MARWAT: The doctors and paramedical associations on Tuesday blocked the Bannu-Mianwali road near the District Headquarters Hospital to protest against the reforms being introduced by the government in the health sector. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Muhammad Ibrahim, Dr Ishtiaq, Dr Zafar Nawaz, Dr Ibrahim Iqbal, Rasheed Ahmed, Ayub Khan and Tariq Sardar said that the government was trying to privatise the hospitals under the pretext of so-called reforms. They said they would continue the strike in view of the directives of the Grand Health Alliance (GHA), adding, that the poor people were suffering due to the strike. The speakers said the government was not serious in resolving the issues of the people as had been pledged by the prime minister to focus on the health and education sector. They said that both the sectors were not being focused but targeted to squeeze the people ever more. The speakers demanded early resignation of Dr Nausherwan Burki, the architect of health reforms. They said that they would hold protest by blocking the road on each Tuesday till further orders by the GHA.