Hospitals in paralysis: Paramedics across Hazara suspend health services

Doctors carried out emergency surgeries without help of assisting medical staff

ABBOTABAD: Paramedics observed a complete strike, suspending health services in public sector health facilities across Hazara Division on Wednesday. Following incentives announced for doctors by the provincial government, paramedics also demanded an increase in their salary and other remunerations.

Several surgeries due for Wednesday were delayed and out-patient departments (OPD) were closed, depriving thousands of patients of treatment. The protesting paramedics, nurses and technical staff forcibly locked doctors’ rooms in OPDs, laboratories, radiology departments at all district and tehsil headquarter hospitals, including Ayub Medical Complex.

The paramedics also carried out processions within the limits of their respective hospitals.

The repercussions

“We treat 2,000 to 2,400 patients daily in the OPD at Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Hospital (BBSH) and Women & Children Hospital,” BBSH Medical Superintendent Dr Minhajul Haq told The Express Tribune. He added they were deprived of their basic right to treat people. He said 10 to 12 cases of general surgery and a similar number of operations were carried out at gynecology department daily – all of which have been suspended.

The situation at Ayub Medical Complex (AMC) where 2,500 to 3,000 patients visit from Hazara, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, remained similar, forcing thousands of patients to suffer.

Meanwhile, Dr Amin Afridi of AMC said doctors remained on duty and attended to inpatients as they had nothing to do with the strike of paramedics. District Headquarters Teaching Hospital Haripur MS Dr Zakim Khan Wazir said the doctors even carried out emergency operations without the help of paramedics, however the OPD remained closed.

The backdrop

The indifference exhibited by the government has forced paramedics to strike for an indefinite period. “This is a genuine demand and despite persistent requests, the government has ignored it,” AMC Paramedics Association President Habib Shah said. He told The Express Tribune all paramedics will support K-P essential services act in case their demands were met, otherwise, the strike will continue for an indefinite period.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 11^th,  2016.