A widespread protest by healthcare professionals entered its second consecutive day in Rawalpindi on Monday, as doctors across three major government hospitals continued their strike against the privatisation of public hospitals, Express News reported.
The Young Doctors Association (YDA) has led the boycott, resulting in the suspension of Outpatient Department (OPD) services at Benazir Bhutto General Hospital, Holy Family Hospital, and Rawalpindi Teaching Hospital.
According to Dr Arif Aziz, President of the YDA at Benazir Bhutto General Hospital, the association firmly opposes the government's decision to privatise public healthcare institutions.
"We categorically reject the privatisation of government hospitals. The government must immediately withdraw this decision," he stated.
While emergency and in-patient services remain functional, YDA representatives have warned that the strike may be expanded to other departments if their demands are not addressed.
Meanwhile, polio and dengue eradication efforts in Rawalpindi have been temporarily halted as health workers also launched protests against plans to outsource public health services.
Workers from peripheral areas such as Gujar Khan, Chakri, and Union Council Phagwari boycotted the ongoing provincial polio campaign, expressing strong opposition to the privatisation of the health department. They raised concerns over job insecurity, delayed salaries, and a lack of financial protection.
The protest has prompted the temporary suspension of both polio and dengue prevention campaigns in the region, raising public health concerns amid ongoing efforts to control seasonal diseases.
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