Raising their voice: Nurses warn of province-wide strikes

They want issues addressed before February 7

KARACHI: The joint nurses' action committee of Young Nurses Association (YNA) and Provincial Nurses Association (PNA) threatened the Sindh government to carry out province-wide strike in protest if their demands are not met before February 7.

According to the nursing associations, the chief minister, health minister and health secretary must take notice of their demands and address the issues they have been facing as the nursing profession is one of the vital professions in the provision of healthcare.

Addressing a press conference at Karachi Press Club on Wednesday, YNA president Aijaz Kaleri maintained that the nursing fraternity is mistreated at the hands of the health department.

"The nursing staff wouldn't be responsible for the suffering of patients if the demands are not met," Kaleri remarked, adding that delaying tactics are being used by the government.

"We demand Time Scale Promotion for the entire nursing staff in the province and [want a] departmental promotions committee to be constituted for the promotions [that] have been delayed for no reason by the health department," he added. "The salary and allowances of nursing staff must be increased [at par] with the other provinces in Pakistan." He added that the stipend of nursing students must be increased from Rs6,800 to Rs20,000.

He further demanded the issuance of posting orders of 477 nurses who cleared the Sindh Public Service Commission and have been waiting for the last six months. He added that the health department should stop interference in the profession of nursing and issue teaching allowance to nursing instructors in different nursing schools in the province.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 26^th, 2017.