BBH nurses protest lack of weekly leaves

Call off demonstration after hospital acquiesces to their demands

RAWALPINDI:

The paramedical staff of the Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) on Tuesday staged a protest, demanding restoration of their weekly off days - which were cancelled in the wake of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

Protesting nurses on Tuesday boycotted their duties and walked out of the BBH hospital to surround the office of its Medical Superintendent (MS). They chanted slogans against the hospital management, stating that the duty roster for nurses was made without consulting them. The new duty schedule, they claimed, was enforced immediately and termed it unethical and illegal.

The duty timetable cannot be prepared without taking the relevant head of the department in confidence, the nurses contended.

Further, while performing duties amidst Covid-19, the protesting nurses said that they were not being given a weekly day-off and that the management had rejected their applications for leaves even in emergencies, they claimed.

Poor working conditions: Nurses abandon hospitals, take to streets to demand better salaries

The nurses asserted that they had initially approached the MS to resolve their issues amicably. However, they claimed that instead of looking into the matter rationally, the official allegedly started hurling abuse.

With their concerns unaddressed, they decided to stage a protest and vowed to keep it up until their duty timings were changed and they are given a weekly day-off.

Later, BBH officials approached the protesters and invited them for talks. The officials assured the nurses of preparing a new duty roster after consulting with the nurse in-charge and announced a to provide some days off for nurses who are performing duties in the coronavirus wards after every two weeks. After their demands were approved, the nurses ended their protest and rejoined their duties.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 1^st, 2020.