KARACHI: The Young Doctors Association (YDA), Sindh, continued their boycott of out-patient departments (OPDs) at public sector hospitals on a third consecutive day on Wednesday across the province as talks between their representatives and health department officials failed.

The association announced that they would continue their boycott till their demands were met.

“Today’s meeting of YDA Sindh was scheduled with health officials. Each and every point was discussed in detail but (the parties) couldn’t reach any conclusion. That’s why a complete boycott of OPDs will continue till acceptance of our demands,” said Dr Faizan Hussain Memon in a message on a social media group.

Sources said the talks between the association representatives and the health department officials couldn’t reach a common point for consensus. The government officials sought more time to look into the demands of YDA, which wanted an immediate notification on a few issues.

Protest sit-in of nurses continues

Earlier in the day, patients at OPDs had to return home without any medical consultation amid doctors’ protests held in major tertiary care hospitals of the province including the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, National Institute of Child Health, Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi and Civil Hospital Hyderabad.

However, the young doctors’ body claimed that there was no disruption in service at emergency units, intensive care units, operation theatres and general, private wards.

The association is demanding paid deputation and central induction policies, increase in risk allowance and stipends of post-graduate trainees and house officers and regularisation of all doctors hired on contract basis.

It also urged the government to make Covid-19 risk allowance a permanent feature of doctors’ salaries and resolve the matter of their transfers at JPMC and NICH.

The government should also announce 500 seats of dental surgeons and make a separate cadre for the hiring of medical legal officers, YDA officials said.

At their demonstration at CHK, doctors also demanded that CT and MRI scan machines be made functional.

At the JPMC, several protesters held banners inscribed with slogans demanding immediate hiring of doctors to address their shortage at the hospital.

Meanwhile, nurses’ representatives continued with their sit-in outside the Karachi Press Club.

“So far, the government has only notified recruitment and promotion rules. We want some other issues to be resolved first before ending our protest,” said Aijaz Kaleri representing the Young Nurses’ Association, Sindh, adding that the government officials had sought time till Friday (tomorrow).

The nurses have suspended their services in the general wards of public sector hospitals across Sindh. A few days back, scores of nurses were thrashed, baton-charged and briefly detained by the police when they tried to march on the Chief Minister House.

Their demands include regularisation of nurses appointed at various healthcare facilities over the past two years for services related to Covid-19 and implementation of the Pakistan Nursing Council decision, according to which, nurses should head educational and training institutions for lady health workers and midwives.

“The government should also separate nurses’ education and deputation policies from that of doctors and raise stipend of trainee nurses who are getting a meagre monthly stipend of Rs15,880 unlike other provinces where this amount has risen to Rs33,000,” said Mr Kaleri.

Published in Dawn, December 9th, 2021