Patients suffer as PIMS OPDs remain shut

Protesting doctors and employees say OPDs will remain closed till repeal of MTI Act

ISLAMABAD:

Patients visiting the outpatient departments (OPDs) of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) hospital continue to face hardships as the Grand Health Alliance’s ongoing protest and strike seeking to repeal the Medical Teaching Institution (MTI) Act entered the 15th day.

Doctors and the paramedical staff continue to boycott the OPDs, adversely affecting the patients who come from far-flung areas and cannot afford the luxury of private hospitals. The visiting patients have no option but to return without being tended to as doctors, the paramedical staff and nurses of the biggest referral hospital have been on the strike.

The government had passed the MTI Repeal bill and both houses of parliament passed it before it was sent it to the president of Pakistan to get his nod. However, President Dr Arif Alvi has returned the amended bill to the government with a suggestion to reconsider it. Now, the government has been left with no option but to pass the bill again in a joint session to make it an Act of law.

As the doctors, nurses and other employees have been boycotting the OPDs no government representative has shown overtures to talk with the protesters. The PIMS administration has also shown utter disregard for opening the shut OPDs to ameliorate the sufferings of patients.

The Grand Health Alliance said that if the PIMS management did not accept their demands at a meeting expected (today), the protest will continue.

They said that they have only boycotted OPDs but in the long run, they will suspend the emergency and other services as well.

Management officials exhibited conspicuous absence as patients suffer. A citizen Kaleem Ullah, who visited the for treatment appealed to the government to intervene and open the OPDS. He said that patients have nothing to do with MTI act and they want the treatment facility. Poor patients were being forced to seek treatment from expensive private clinics for the last fortnight, he said.

Patient Naveeda Bibi said that the protesting doctors were doing regular check-ups at their private clinics but they were boycotting OPDs at the PIMs under the garb of protest.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, December 6^th, 2022.