Health workers turn out for protest

Warn that demonstrations will intensify if demands continue to be ignored

HYDERABAD: Doctors, nurses and paramedics working in public-sector hospitals across Sindh joined hands to stage a province-wide token protest on Monday, in an attempt to push the Sindh government to accept their demands.

The protests were organized by the Sindh Grand Health Alliance (GHA), which consists of Pakistan Medical Association (PMA), Young Doctors Association, Young Nurses Association and Paramedical Joint Action Committee.

The protests were held outside the administrative offices of government hospitals in almost all districts of Sindh, with warnings that the protests would intensify if their demands were not accepted.

"Health workers are risking their lives and those of their families while combatting the coronavirus," pointed out PMA's Lala Jaffar while addressing a protest in Hyderabad at Liaquat University Hospital. "Our justified demands should be accepted."

Medical personnel have, from the start of the pandemic in Pakistan, been demanding the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) for all doctors, nurses, paramedics and other staff in government hospitals, arguing that they all were exposed to the virus.

However, according to the associations of doctors and paramedics, only staff working in designated Covid-19 wards or those dealing with the testing of suspected patients had been given PPE.

GHA's Dr Mehboob Noorani, reading out the demands, called for health risk allowance for all doctors, the enactment of a Health Facilities Security Bill by the provincial assembly and the establishment of separate isolation wards for healthcare workers. The creation of service structure, martyrs packages for health workers dying due to the virus and a health insurance policy are among the other demands.

The alliance has also taken up the issues of appointing of dental surgeons through exams conducted by the Sindh Public Service Commission, the promotions of existing doctors and nurses and increased stipends for postgraduate doctors. Furthermore, it reiterated demands for the regularisation of staff working under the Peoples Primary Healthcare Initiative.

Boycott

Meanwhile, the Young Consultants Association (YCA) announced on Monday that doctors would neither attend outpatient departments (OPDs) or perform surgeries if they were not equipped with PPE. Its other condition for continuing to work in OPDs and surgical wards was adherence to the standard operating procedures, devised to prevent the spread of Covid-19, which the YCA contended were seldom implemented in hospitals.

"The YCA understands that the poor patients visiting the hospitals will be affected but through this decision, we also want to protect the patients and their attendants, besides healthcare providers," said a statement issued by YCA's Dr Ehswar Kumar.

The association asked the provincial government to provide PPEs and ensure the implementation of the SOPs, warning that doctors affiliated with the association would continue to boycott work until their demands were accepted.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 9^th, 2020.