Nurses announce province-wide hunger strike in Sindh

Accuse provincial govt of lack of seriousness towards nurses' issues and demands

KARACHI: The nurses of Sindh are set to begin a hunger strike today in a desperate bid to press the provincial government into honouring an agreement signed the last time they came out on the streets.

The Sindh Nurses Alliance (SNA) president gave the call on Sunday, as the nurses' protest outside the Karachi Press Club entered its fourth consecutive day. While announcing the strike, the SNA leaders maintained that the Sindh government did not meet the nurses' demands despite signing a written agreement with the alliance.

"The provincial government has not been exhibiting seriousness towards the issues faced by nurses while a written agreement signed with the organisation remains unexecuted, implying great injustice with the people in the profession of nursing," read a statement issued by the SNA. "Consequently, nurses all over the province have halted their work and the responsibilities for the difficulties and pain faced by hospital patients rests with the government of Sindh."

The SNA warned that the nurses will now go on hunger strike from 11am today, as their protest enters the fifth day. "Nurses from across Sindh, including Karachi, will resort to a complete boycott," the statement added.

The SNA leaders appealed the provincial authorities to comprehensively review the problems faced by the nurses and resolve their problems as per the agreement signed with the alliance. They also entreated Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to take notice of the situation and advise the Sindh government in this regard.

"PPP have always worked for the people of Sindh and have remained steadfast in ensuring the welfare of the government employees, taking steps such as increase in the salaries as well as making provisions for new government jobs," the SNA statement read.

The nurses of Sindh have been demanding that provincial authorities comply with the service structure, promote nursing staff to next grades and provide professional health and teaching allowances. Lack of official attention to their demands prompted the nurses to protest earlier in May and culminated in the police baton-charging them as they tried to march towards the Chief Minister House.

The May protest, which hampered the operation of intensive care units and led to the arrest of dozens of nurses, was called off after eight days after the Sindh Health Department, in principle, gave in to many of the nurses' demands.