Strike at PIMS: Patients suffer as doctors, paramedics boycott OPDs
Employees seek separation of the hospital from Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University
Employees seek separation of the hospital from Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
Patients visiting the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) faced inconvenience on Monday after doctors and the paramedical staff boycotted outpatient departments (OPDs).
Employees of the Pims, who were demanding separation of the hospital from the Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU), boycotted the OPDs and the offices causing inconvenience to hundreds of patients visiting the largest referral hospital in the city.
Earlier, the medical and non-medical staff of the hospital had given a one-week deadline to separate the hospital from the university or else they would boycott the OPDs and stay away from work.
The university was established by the Pakistan People’s Party government through an act of parliament on March 21, 2013, on the premises of the hospital.
But after protests of the employees, a bill was moved in the National Assembly in 2014 to separate the university from the hospital.
The bill has been pending for approval since then.
The employees have been protesting time and again against the merger that, according to them, has taken a toll on patients as well as on the employees who have been deprived of various entitlements.
As announced, the employees observed a strike and boycotted the OPDs and the administration offices.
Due to the strike, healthcare services in several OPDs, at the children hospital, at the burn centre and the mother-and-child centre remained suspended.
Indoor and emergency services and operation theaters remained functional.
After an intervention of the hospital management, the university’s postgraduate trainees and house officers checked several patients but many doctors refused to oblige the orders.
The employees protested inside the hospital chanting slogans such as “separate the hospital from the university” and “we want justice”.
Police were called out to avoid any untoward situation.
A brief altercation happened when the administration tried to open the OPDs.
Pims Restoration Movement Chairperson Dr Asfandyar Khan alleged that the employees had decided to observe the strike for two hours but due to the “negative attitude” of the vice-chancellor they boycotted the work for the whole day. He also alleged that due to the presence of a heavy contingent of police, several patients turned away without checkups fearing arrests.
Khan appealed to the prime minister to take notice of the issue as, according to him, the university administration did not want things to get resolved.
He feared that the state of affairs might get worse in the coming days if their demands were not met.
SZABMU Vice-Chancellor Dr Javed Akram said that “it was very unfortunate that poor patients coming from far-flung areas were refused treatment”.
“It had been agreed that the protest will not impact the services but unfortunately at 7:45am a mob consisting of union representatives locked the OPDs,” he alleged.
“The administration has done everything it can to resolve their demands,” Dr Akram said adding that the employees had been assured that their civil service rights would remain intact.
While talking about the pending bill, he said, even the prime minister could not separate the hospital from the university unless the parliament approves the bill.
“I can’t change the status of the hospital that has been amended through a law,” Dr Akram said.
“The employees should not let the patients suffer because of the delay in the passage of the law. We have many options and will not let this situation continue,” he said.
“We managed to open the doors and about 5,000 patients were examined by doctors,” said Dr Akram.
According to the hospital administration, about 10,000 patients visit various OPDs of the hospital on a daily basis.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 23rd, 2016.
Patients visiting the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) faced inconvenience on Monday after doctors and the paramedical staff boycotted outpatient departments (OPDs).
Employees of the Pims, who were demanding separation of the hospital from the Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU), boycotted the OPDs and the offices causing inconvenience to hundreds of patients visiting the largest referral hospital in the city.
Earlier, the medical and non-medical staff of the hospital had given a one-week deadline to separate the hospital from the university or else they would boycott the OPDs and stay away from work.
The university was established by the Pakistan People’s Party government through an act of parliament on March 21, 2013, on the premises of the hospital.
But after protests of the employees, a bill was moved in the National Assembly in 2014 to separate the university from the hospital.
The bill has been pending for approval since then.
The employees have been protesting time and again against the merger that, according to them, has taken a toll on patients as well as on the employees who have been deprived of various entitlements.
As announced, the employees observed a strike and boycotted the OPDs and the administration offices.
Due to the strike, healthcare services in several OPDs, at the children hospital, at the burn centre and the mother-and-child centre remained suspended.
Indoor and emergency services and operation theaters remained functional.
After an intervention of the hospital management, the university’s postgraduate trainees and house officers checked several patients but many doctors refused to oblige the orders.
The employees protested inside the hospital chanting slogans such as “separate the hospital from the university” and “we want justice”.
Police were called out to avoid any untoward situation.
A brief altercation happened when the administration tried to open the OPDs.
Pims Restoration Movement Chairperson Dr Asfandyar Khan alleged that the employees had decided to observe the strike for two hours but due to the “negative attitude” of the vice-chancellor they boycotted the work for the whole day. He also alleged that due to the presence of a heavy contingent of police, several patients turned away without checkups fearing arrests.
Khan appealed to the prime minister to take notice of the issue as, according to him, the university administration did not want things to get resolved.
He feared that the state of affairs might get worse in the coming days if their demands were not met.
SZABMU Vice-Chancellor Dr Javed Akram said that “it was very unfortunate that poor patients coming from far-flung areas were refused treatment”.
“It had been agreed that the protest will not impact the services but unfortunately at 7:45am a mob consisting of union representatives locked the OPDs,” he alleged.
“The administration has done everything it can to resolve their demands,” Dr Akram said adding that the employees had been assured that their civil service rights would remain intact.
While talking about the pending bill, he said, even the prime minister could not separate the hospital from the university unless the parliament approves the bill.
“I can’t change the status of the hospital that has been amended through a law,” Dr Akram said.
“The employees should not let the patients suffer because of the delay in the passage of the law. We have many options and will not let this situation continue,” he said.
“We managed to open the doors and about 5,000 patients were examined by doctors,” said Dr Akram.
According to the hospital administration, about 10,000 patients visit various OPDs of the hospital on a daily basis.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 23rd, 2016.