Patients become casualties of paramedics’ strike

Boycott of OPDs called off after successful negotiations, OPDs to resume on Monday

KARACHI: Paramedics called off their strike when negations with the government successfully ended on Saturday. Earlier, the out-patient departments (OPDs) of public hospital remained closed for three days throughout the entire province.

The paramedics have been protesting since Wednesday outside the Karachi Press Club and announced a strike at OPDs in the province after the police thrashed them. They have been demanding health allowance and restoration of the 2006 service structure.

The OPD wards at all the government hospitals in the province wore deserted looks, leaving patients in serious trouble since Thursday. However, emergency and casualty wards, operation theatres and admitted patients were being treated at all the hospitals.

Almost 6,000 patients visit the OPD of Civil Hospital, Karachi every day. The three-day protest left them with no choice but to wait in the heat for medical attention.

"Currently, the evening OPDs have started working since the paramedics have called off their strike," said Civil Hospital, Karachi Medical Superintendent Dr Muhammad Tofique.



Right now, we are trying to manage the backlog of patients who have been waiting in the hospital’s premises but things will completely settle down by Monday, he explained, adding that morning OPDs would start functioning then.

Saira Bibi, who was waiting outside the doctors’ room with her daughter and husband, said that she was frustrated and had been pleading with the staff to examine the patient but no one would listen to her. She said that no one in the government is here to look after poor people and lessen their miseries.

"The government people are not listening to other government people [paramedics] and we, the public, are the ones to suffer at their hands."

Ghulam Ali came to Civil hospital from Ghaas Mandhi in Lyari without knowing about the protest. He wanted to see a doctor but had no idea that the hospital’s OPD was not function. He left in disappointment.

According to him, the government needs to negotiate with the protesting paramedics so that they can resume their work and call off their ban of the OPDs.

In the afternoon, Transport and Information Minister Nasir Hussain Shah and Javed Nagori were successful in negotiating with the paramedics and they assured the protesting leaders that Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has agreed to fulfill their demands and would approve their health allowance within two to three days.

On Wednesday, thousands of paramedics had gathered outside the Karachi Press Club to stage a protest but when they tried to march towards CM House they were baton charged by the police. The law enforcers also used teargas and water cannons against them. Thirty protesters were arrested and an FIR was registered against them. According to the leaders of the paramedical associations, dozens of protesters were injured.



Speaking to The Express Tribune, member of the supreme council and joint action committee Akhlaq Ahmed Khan said, "Currently the paramedics working at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre and National Institute of Child Health are getting health professional allowances but we have been deprived of our right."

According to him, they have raised their voice on almost all platforms for the past year but no one from the government, especially the health secretary, Fazulullah Pechuho, has taken notice. He said paramedics in the province were being neglected.