Health dept employees threaten country-wide agitation against privatisation

Protesters say the government has two weeks to renounce privatisation of health entities

LAHORE: Citing privatisation as ‘an inhuman act’, the employees of health department, including doctors and paramedical staffs, threatened launching a countrywide agitation, if the government does not revert back the privatisation policy of health department.

On Wednesday, in a packed press conference at Services Hospital, the different bodies of health officials including, Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Young Doctors Association (YDA), Punjab Health Alliance, paramedical staff, Lady Health Workers Association and other organisations shouted anti-government slogans and slated the proposed privatisation of health department.

The leaders of the protest said they have given two weeks to the government to completely give up the policy of privatisation and outsourcing.

“Today all employees have set aside their issues, they are united against privatisation,” commented Punjab YDA head Dr Maroof Venice.

He said after the privatisation, the prices of medical tests and other health facilities would be increased by 300%, which would hurt the already deprived masses of the country.

“Education and health are the responsibilities of government. How they can privatise these departments?” he remarked.

Rukhsana Noor, a lady health worker, said the government has hoodwinked the masses in the name of ‘health card’, now they started charging hefty amount even in the government-run hospital’s emergencies.

Malik Munir of the Punjab Health Alliance said if the government tried to sack any staff member in these days, they would shut down all emergencies across the Punjab. “We have already made alliance in Punjab’s four regions, and prepare for the fights against officials of health department,” he added.

Pakistan Medical Association president Dr Izhar Chudhry announced he was joining the protest movement against the government, if the privatisation policy was not reverted back.

For two years, the employees of health department have continued their protests against the proposed privatisation health entities. They fear the government would privatise all the hospitals resulting in huge downsizing which all the major health bodies termed as their main concern. The protestors also demand reinstatement of sacked employees, regularisation of daily wagers and an end to what they call the marginalisation of pharmacists.

Employees of the health department, from different health bodies, regularly take to the streets and block main thoroughfares, apart from boycotting ODPs along with other hospital functions.

The organisations included Health Support Staff, Punjab Paramedical Alliance, Young Nursing Association, Allied Health Organisation, All Pakistan Laboratories Association, Employees Association, Young Power Association, Young Doctors Association Pakistan, Pakistan Medical Association (PMA), United Health Federation, Pakistan Laboratories Technologists, Young Pharmacist Associations, Pakistan Pharmacist Association, Dispenser Association, Pakistan Chemist and Retailer Association, Biochemist Association and pharmaceutical companies were among the protestors.

According to the data shared by Dr Aftab Ashraf, former office bearer of YDA, and activist of trade union workers movement Red Workers Front the provincial capital has been besieged by protests from health workers in 2017 as 300 different demonstrations took place since January 2017. In most cases, the protests were against public medical institutes being privatised.

Talking to The Express Tribune, he said the persistent demonstrations showed that health department employees were far from convinced of government’s promises that the health entities would not be privatised.

“Now, all employees of the health department are united against privatisation,” he remarked.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 25^th, 2018.