OPD at JPMC closed as a protest by the Medical staff

KARACHI- The outpatient department of the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC) remained closed for two hours on Saturday, on account of protest demonstration   medical staff in favor of their demands.

The paramedical staff and nurses under the banner of Jinnah Employees Action Committee staged protest demonstration and boycotted the OPDs services against apathy of health department Sindh with employees of three institutions including; Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, National Institute of Child Health and National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases.

The protesters strongly condemned indifference of provincial health department with employees   of three institutions who were deprived from health & deputation allowances, promotions, new hiring on vacant posts and non-issuance of pay-slips to regular neurosurgery employees or   deliberate delay in release of their salaries.

The protesting employees said around 2,000 employees of healthcare are deprived from health and deputation allowances from past four years. They informed that no departmental promotion committee meeting was held from last several years for promotion of employees in next grades, while no new staff hired to fill vacant posts since long.

Member, Jinnah Employees Action Committee, Haq Nawaz Sial said employees would enlarge their protest if the authorities concerned could not accept the demands of employees at earliest. He said boycott of OPDs will continue in next week till proper assurance from health department.   

Central President, Peoples Paramedical Staff Welfare Association, Pakistan, Syed Ameer Hussain Shah, talking to the media person said injustices are being done with health employees in Sindh province and employees are deprived from their due rights. He said neurosurgery employees are facing hardship and authorities concerned must address their genuine demands.

The hundreds of patients were left at the mercy of fate as medical staff boycotted the OPDs in Sindh’s largest government-run tertiary-care hospital and visiting patients have to return their homes without receiving any treatment or consultation. 

The employees later called off their strike and resumed OPD services after 11:00 am and the patients were provided medical facilities in the remaining hours.