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Friday March 29, 2024

Patients suffer amid JPMC, NICH staff’s protest

OPDs closed to demand salary increment and payment of health allowance

By M Waqar Bhatti
September 15, 2015
Karachi
Hundreds of patients visiting the two largest public sector hospitals of the city, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) and National Institute of Child Health (NICH), faced immense difficulties on Monday when young doctors and paramedics boycotted the out-patient departments and ward services to demand increase in their stipends and payment of health allowances.
A large number of patients visiting the JPMC and NICH from different areas of the city, bordering areas of Balochistan including Hub and Sakran and far-flung areas of Sindh’s coastal belt including Thatta, Gharo and Sajawal, had to return when they learned young doctors and paramedics were on strike and medical examinations at out-patient departments were closed due to protests.
The boycott of duties also extended to ward services and treatment of already-admitted patients was badly affected while work in laboratories and radiology departments also remained suspended.
The doctors, comprising postgraduate trainees, house officers and paramedics, gathered outside the Najmuddin Auditorium and staged a sit-in to demand increment in their salaries and provision of health allowance to the paramedical staff as in government hospitals of Punjab, Balochistan and the federal government.
Dr Umer Sultan, the president of JPMC’s Young Doctors’ Association (YDA), confirmed that doctors and paramedics of the JPMC and NICH had boycotted out-patient departments and other medical services at the hospital on Monday. He said the extreme step had to be taken only after all peaceful measures, including talks with the provincial government and administrations of their hospitals, failed.
“Only those patients in urgent need of medical care were treated at both JPMC and NICH,” claimed Sultan. “Even patients who came to in out-patients departments and needed immediate care were treated at the emergency wards.”
According to Sultan, postgraduate trainees and house officers in federal government hospitals, Punjab and Balochistan were getting higher salaries and stipends as compared to doctors in Sindh. He said despite assurances from the provincial government, the health authorities were not willing to pay them at par with other provinces.
He claimed that the JPMC administration had sought at least 300 applications for postgraduate trainees and house officers in April this year, so they could be forwarded to the health department for increment in their salaries. However, despite assurances and promises the government was not ready to listen to their demands.
“After considering all aspects, the doctors found no other viable option left but to protest and boycott health services to compel the authorities to increase our stipends.” He said.
On the other hand, the paramedical staff and employees of JPMC and NICH said they were entitled to receive health allowance equal to one basic salary, which was being paid to federal and provincial health employees except for Sindh. They said the bureaucracy was creating hurdles in payment of the due rights of the paramedical staff and hospital employees.
“The paramedical staff of NICH and JPMC has formed a joint action committee (JAC) and now we are protesting against the indifferent attitude of provincial government. We have set up a protest camp at the JPMC and unless government issues a notice for the payment of health allowance to JPMC paramedics, we are not going to resume our services,” said Muhammad Ismail Jiskani, a representative of JPMC’s paramedical staff while talking to The News.
Meanwhile, Sindh health secretary Saeed Mangnejo with JPMC’s executive director Dr Anisuddin Bhatti talked to the protesters and tried to convince them to end their boycott, giving the assurance that a notification will soon be issued regarding the increase in doctors’ salaries and pending health allowance within three days.
The protesting doctors and employees including doctors and paramedics, however, refused to end their protest and said they would call of the boycott only if their demands were met. The protest had been under way till the story was filed on Monday evening.