Day 9: Nurses threaten to boycott emergencies as doctors complain of extra workload

Half of all activities at Civil hospital are delayed, says Dengue Surveillance Cell official.

KARACHI: Nurses have threatened to boycott even the emergency services if there are more delays in accepting their demands. Three nurses from Thatta and a male staff were injured while 10 protesters fainted when the police charged them with tear gas and water canon  bursts on Monday.

This is the second time such a thing has happened.

The hospital services also suffer since nurses and paramedical staff are boycotting all the wards except emergencies. Dr Shakeel Aamir Mullick, the head of Dengue Surveillance Cell at Civil hospital, said that around 50 percent activities at the hospital were being delayed because of the boycott.

Dr Humaira, a doctor on duty at National Institute of Child Health (NICH), said that doctors had to lot of extra work to do. “Not only do we have to complete our rounds but now also have to care for the patients, give them injections, drips and medicines on time.”

According to Dr Jamal Raza, the director of NICH, there were about 350 beds and between 40 and 50 doctors on duty at one time at the hospital.

All the wards at Jinnah hospital were affected by the absence of staff and the emergency services were also affected. The deputy director of Jinnah hospital and the in charge of emergency section, Dr Seemin Jamali, said that there were only a few nurses, ward boys, technicians in emergencies and emergency theatres while the rest of the hospital relied on doctors.

An elderly woman, Jamila, was sitting dejectedly outside Jinnah Hospital. She had come to get treatment for cataract. “The doctors are not seeing patients here till an undefined period” was all she was told. “I have already spent too much money on transportation from Nawabshah,” she said. “I might not be able to come back to Karachi ever if I go back.”

In his press conference, the president of Sindh chapter of Pakistan Nurses Association, Aijaz Ali Kaleri, ranted about the media questioning their ethics. “It is on the record that the deaths were not related to our protest.”

However, the doctors seem to be a little ambivalent. On one hand, they agree that the demands are legitimate but on the other hand they also criticised their boycott.

To this the protesters said that they had little choice given the attitude of the government. “They say that the summary is lying on the table of the chief minister. If that is the case then what is talking them so long?” asked one protester.

But from the government’s point of view the matter is about to be resolved. The special health secretary, Dr Suresh Kumar, said that the demands are being considered and a decision will soon be taken. But he did not say when.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 3^rd, 2012.