Frustrated workforce: Discontent grows as medics continue protests

Not a day goes by without demonstrations against privatisation plans or lack of service structure.

LAHORE: To say that health department employees are discontent nowadays is a gross understatement as not a single day has passed over the last month without them holding a protest.

Sometimes they take to the streets to demands better pay scales and on other occasions to demonstrate against the privatisation of public hospitals.

These protests are dominating matters at all major medical facilities of the provincial metropolis. These include Jinnah Hospital, Lahore General Hospital, Services Hospital, Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Mayo Hospital and Lady Willingdon Hospital etc. However, it seems government officials are not taking the matter seriously as is evident by the lack of any fruitful dialogue between medical staff and health department officials. These protests are also resulting in despair for patients who visit teaching hospitals from all over the Punjab for treatment.

Among them is Ahmed Ali, who comes from Okara to the Services Hospital for the medical checkup of his 10-year-old daughter. “The government must hear them if they want to sincerely improve health facilities,” he says. “There is not a single day when we do not see protests in different streets of Lahore.”



On Monday, paramedical staff of the Services Hospital protested against privatisation of the medical facility and the delaying tactics of the government to restructure services scales. The demonstration was held in front of the administration and block they later marched past the main gate to hold a sit-in which lasted three hours. Consequently, all operations at Services Hospital were badly affected.

During the protest, Services Hospital YDA President Dr Atif Majeed also paid a visit to the camp and expressed solidarity with the paramedical staff. “Their demand for a services structure is genuine and the government must consider it,” he asserts.

He adds the YDA stands united with the paramedical staff and the association will also join hands with the anti-privatisation movement, which will start in the coming days.

“Since the government has already planned to privatise all medical facilities of the health department, we, in coordination with paramedical staff and other workers, will mobilise the people,” he reveals.

Paramedical staff association president Muhammad Yousuf Billa also confirms that the protest will continue till the government halts its plans to privatise hospitals and restructures service structures of all staff from Grade-1 to Grade-14.

“However, we will not affect hospital functions as the medics are the last hope of the poor people of Punjab,” he concludes.

The protest drew to a close at the end of the day after the hospital administration called on leadership senior paramedical staff to assure that their demands will be considered immediately.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 18^th, 2017.