Paramedics on strike: Patients suffer as protest delays surgeries

Threaten total boycott after April 10.

MIRPUR:

Scores of patients had to suffer pre-surgical delays due to strikes in AJK’s state-run hospitals including Mirpur DHQ Hospital on the ninth day of two-hour token protests by paramedical staff on Wednesday. Surgeons had to postpone operations for two hours because of the strike across the state.

“This is a great injustice to the patients”, said a man whose wife underwent surgery in Mirpur DHQ Hospital after suffering a two-hour delay.

The protesting staff boycotted their duties and held strike camps in their respective hospitals and dispensaries, raising slogans and displaying banners in favour of their demands.

The state’s health authorities have yet to map out a plan to end the strike or lower its impact, which is necessary for the smooth functioning of public-sector medical units in AJK.

“The demands of protesting paramedical staff have been forwarded to the higher authorities for consideration and it is now up to them to accept or reject them,” Dr Muhammad Bashir Chaudhry told The Express Tribune.

The AJK Paramedical Staff Association (PSA) vowed to continue the daily two-hour strike till April 10 in both, inpatient and outpatient departments untill their demands are met.

PSA Mirpur District President Raja Shehzad told reporters at the strike camp at Mirpur DHQ Hospital on Wednesday that his organisation would expand the token strike to a full-day strike if their demands are not met by April 10.

The association also told the AJK government that if the charter of demands was not approved, they would boycott their duties and expand their protests to emergency units in hospitals and basic health units throughout AJK for an indefinite period.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 5^th, 2012.