KARACHI, Nov 29: About 450 house-job officers at the Civil Hospital called off their strike on Tuesday after getting assurance by the authorities of meeting their demands.

A delegation of the house-job officer met the Sindh Health Secretary Dr Noshad Shaikh and apprised him of their demands. They had been assured that some of their demands would be met immediately and the rest would be fulfilled in the days to come.

After getting assurance, the house-job officers decided to call off their strike, which they had started on Nov 21 after the death of their colleague Dr Yusra Afaq, who died of suspected haemorrhagic fever at the Aga Khan University Hospital.

According to a press release issued by the house officers, on Nov 21 the House Officers of the Civil Hospital and the Lyari General Hospital went on strike protesting the death of their colleague Dr Yusra Aafaq in an insecure and unhygienic working environment.

They also protested over the poor sanitary conditions of the Civil Hospital and the Lyari General Hospital and the non-existence of an isolation ward.

During the meeting with the health secretary, compensations for Dr Zia Siddiqui and Dr Yusra Afaq (both died of haemorrhagic fever) be made as soon as possible and to any other such case reported in the future, a continuous, uninterrupted supply of medical-grade equipment including latex gloves, face masks and disinfectants be started in all the wards of the CHK, Hepatitis B and C screening be made mandatory for all the patients admitted to the CHK, and fumigation, pest and rodent control and control of stray dogs and cats be done in all the wards and open areas of the CHK.

These demands would be met immediately, the press release added.

However, the demands which would require time for implementation included the establishment of a proper isolation facility in collaboration with the public-private partnership in the premises of the CHK, and measures for improving the sanitary conditions and proper water supply to the CHK.