PESHAWAR/ KARACHI:
The nurses and paramedics grew even more agitated on Saturday when contrary to their expectations, negotiations between their representatives and the health department did not reach a decision on Saturday.
They wanted to march to Governor House again but were deterred by Abdul Sattar Edhi, who came around 3:30 pm. He calmed the protesters down and probably saved them from another round of baton charge and a water cannon attack by the police. “I appeal to the government to solve your issues as soon as possible,” said the humanitarian he addressed the nurses in front of the press club.
However, despite their protests, the nurses took care that there was enough staff at the hospitals for emergencies. According to Aijaz Ali Kaleri, the president of the Karachi chapter of Provincial Nurses Association (PNA), around 150 nurses left the protest by the afternoon to go to their evening duties. Keeping the law and order situation of the city in mind, they had even sent some to cover for others in emergencies. “We are also aware of what the city is facing and do not want any critical patients to suffer,” Kaleri said. The protesters planned to march to Governor House if they did not get a notification within a few hours but Kaleri was hopeful that it would not be needed.
Meanwhile, Ali Akbar Chachar, a senior staff from National Institute of Child Health, said that more nurses have joined the protest from Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Sukkur, Larkana, Umerkot, Thatta, Badin, Sanghar and Nawabshah. There were reports that the government will soon send someone to announce the result of negotiations. Till then, said Chachar, we are keeping our fingers crossed.
As the protest enters its second week, some politicians have also begun to show solidarity with the nurses. Michael Javed, the president of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Sindh’s minority wing, also came to the press club on Friday. He said that a large number of nurses belonged to communities which are in minority. “We have about 1,000 minority members working as nurses in Sindh,” he said. “They have been working in extremely discriminated and poor conditions. These rights are important for their social empowerment.”
Nurses in Peshawar also joined in to support their fellows in Karachi. The staff of Lady Reading Hospital, Khyber Teaching Hospital and Hayatabad Medical Complex boycotted work from 8 am to 10 am on the call of District Nurses Association on Saturday. However, the emergency staff was present at their duties.
They protesters gathered in front of the administration block at Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) and chanted slogans like “Stop harassing nurses and paramedics.”
The president of DNA, Farrukh Jalil, condemned the baton charge and use of water cannons on the nursing staff in Karachi on Wednesday. “It was unethical, unjust and unconstitutional.” A nurse, Nadia Naheed Gul, said that action should be taken against the police officers who manhandled the protesters in Karachi.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 1st, 2012.
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