Doctors demand corruption inquiry

Organise a protest outside the Karachi Press Club

The Sindh Doctors Ittehad protested outside the Karachi Press Club on Tuesday demanding action against corruption in the Sindh health department. They asked for money allegedly paid in bribes at government offices to be regularised so they can pay it just once instead of having to cough it up repeatedly for different officers.

A protest will be staged outside the Chief Minister's House if the chief minister does not call for an inquiry in the health department within a week, they announced.

The doctors' body demanded compensation for non-payment of salaries to coronavirus-infected medical staff, highlighted concerns of People's Primary Healthcare Initiative's (PPHI) employees, called for promotions and regularisation, and health insurance for medical practitioners.

According to them, corruption in the health department had been highlighted earlier as well and after protests, the health secretary had assured that the complaints would be looked into. But, said the protesters, doctors were banned from visiting the health department instead.

If entry to government offices is banned on filing complaints then there could be no hope for justice in the country, according to them.

Doctors should be allowed back in health department offices, they said.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 30^th, 2020.