Proposals: Nurses protest demolition of hostel for construction of college

Say they were told to shift to private hostels meant for male workers.

SIALKOT:

Scores of female nurses took out a protest rally on Monday against the proposed demolition of the building of their nursing school hostel by the Sialkot district administration to make room for the construction of Khwaja Muhammad Safdar Medical College.

The nurses boycotted work and to register their protest.

They staged a sit-in in front of the Government Allama Iqbal Memorial District Headquarters Civil Hospital and blocked the road for more than an hour.

Later, they also marched towards the Sialkot district court from where they proceeded to the office of the district coordination officer. They carried banners and placards and chanted slogans against the government.

Talking to the reporters, the protesting nurses said that the proposed demolition of their hostel would affect more than 200 nurses.

They said the nurses had not been provided a ‘suitable’ replacement.  They said that the district administration had told them to shift to private hostels which were meant for the residence of male industrial workers.

They requested Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Gujranwala Division Commissioner and Sialkot DCO to look into the matter.

Sialkot District Health Officer Dr Javaid Warraich said that the proposed demolition of the nursing hostel had been approved by the provincial government.

He said suitable temporary accommodation had been provided to the affected nurses at the adjacent building of TEVTA residential quarters.

He said the building was suitably guarded.

“I don’t understand why they (nurses) are still reluctant to shift there,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 24^th, 2012.