Ongoing demonstration: Withdraw FIRs or face protest, warn NICH employees

JPMC denies any connection to the NICH protests.

KARACHI: The employees of the National Institute of Child Health (NICH) warned the government to withdraw FIRs lodged against four union leaders or they will launch a protest campaign across the province. Meanwhile, their counterparts at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) declared that they have nothing to do with the NICH protest.

The protesting staff of both the major hospitals of the city held separate press conferences at Karachi Press Club on Monday. "The NICH management is corrupt," alleged Aijaz Kalheri, a member of the Health Allowance Committee. "The management used us as a tool and has lodged FIRs against [its] employees."

Kalheri, along with three fellows, Syed Shahid Iqbal, Rafiq Siyal and Zaryab Tiwana, was arrested from the NICH director's office on Saturday.

He said that the protest for their demands, including a health allowance, is their basic right. "Our doctors also protest but the management doesn't dare to register FIRs against them," he said. "We are the backbone of the healthy facilities but are always ignored."

The NICH employees also reminded the Sindh health minister, Jam Mahtab Hussain Dahar, to fulfill his promises. "Dahar Sahib claimed he would bring a visible change in the health sector," Kalheri said. "What have you done for the employees?"

He said police have been deployed in both of the hospitals. "Our hospitals have been converted into a police colony. All the employees feel insecure," said Kalheri.  He said that most of the active members struggling for their rights are under threat.

Action committee

Meanwhile, the senior leaders of the Joint Action Committee of both the hospitals said that the provincial government has already assured them that their issues will be resolved. "We are not part of protesting employees of the NICH," Syed Ameer Husain said.

Husain briefed the media about the struggle for a health allowance, which started after the passage of the 18th Amendment, adding that talks with the health department are in their final phase. "We'll continue our struggle, if [our] issues are not resolved."

Published in The Express Tribune, June 2^nd, 2015.