‘Political meddling’ in Bannu hospitals: Doctors, paramedics threaten to observe strike, tender resignations en masse

BANNU: Following the resignations of three hospital managers of Khalifa Gulnawaz Hospital, Bannu, medical consultants, young doctors and other allied staff on Sunday also threatened to observe a complete strike and tender collective resignations in protest against the alleged political interference in the three teaching hospitals.

“We will have no other option but to take an appropriate step if the Board of Governors of Medical Teaching Institution did not ban the entry of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf workers into the hospitals within two days,” the leaders of doctors and allied staff told a meeting of All Health Employees Coordination Council here.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Hakimzada, Khairullah Khan, Isra Alibaz and others said that three hospital managers had already resigned in the prevailing emergency situation due to political interference by the PTI workers, particularly one Shabniaz.

The protesting doctors, paramedics and other staff presented a charter of demands to the BOG chairperson and urged the authorities to ban the entry of PTI workers into the hospitals and stop political interference in official work or else they would tender collective resignations and launch a protest movement.

It may be mentioned that three hospital managers of Khalifa Gulnawaz Hospital, Bannu, had tendered resignations to protest the political meddling in the three hospitals’ affairs on Saturday.

Dr Naveed Khattak, Dr Mohib Naseer and Dr Arsalan, who were hospital managers in Khalifa Gulnawaz Hospital, Bannu, tendered their resignations to the hospital director.

In their resignation letters, the doctors said that they had joined the hospital as managers owing to the prevalent emergency situation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

They said that they demanded the relevant quarters for the provision of oxygen, ensuring attendance of ghost employees, and other missing facilities but nothing could be done due to massive political interference.

They alleged that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leaders were meddling in the affairs of the hospital due to which they cannot continue their duties.

They said that the PTI leaders were misbehaving with the staff members and even attending Board of Governors meetings, which had badly affected the system of three hospitals in Bannu.