KARACHI: A recently-formed alliance representing seven bodies of health professionals has condemned the recent closure of out-patient facilities by protesting doctors across the province and the establishment of Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC), annou­ncing that soon the matter would be taken up in all respective provincial high courts.

Speaking at a press conference held here on Monday at the PMA House, the alliance representatives also raised their concern over corruption plaguing the Sindh Healthcare Commission (SHCC) and the provincial health department.

Introducing the Sindh Health Alliance (SHA) and the objectives behind its creation, its chairman Dr Mirza Ali Azhar said it was the shared philosophy and vision that led to the formation of the SHA.

‘PMC is illegal body, will be challenged in high courts’

“Let me start by condemning the recent closure of out-patient departments across the province. Taking up any mode of protest that may harm patients is neither allowed by our professional ethics nor moral values,” said Dr Azhar, who is also president of Pakistan Medical Association’s Sindh chapter.

He was of the opinion that patient-friendly methods of agitation, such as wearing black armbands, should be adopted to pressure the government for any demand.

On behalf of the alliance, he criticised the federal government for setting up the PMC despite the fact that the Supreme Court had declared the body, initially brought through a federal ordinance, ‘illegal’ and its bill was not passed by the Senate last year.

“There are numerous flaws in the PMC rules and regulations; there is no balance of power and they allow people, largely non-doctors and all nominated by the government, to run the commission unlike Pakistan Medical and Dental Council’s (PMDC’s) rules,” he pointed out.

In addition, private medical institutions were now free to raise student fee at their whim while previously a limit had been placed by the PMDC on the student fee.

“Under the PMC, medical colleges would turn into auction markets where admission would be given to those who could pay the most. It also allows medical candidates studying abroad to get themselves transferred to Pakistani institutions,” he said.

The alliance also flayed the provincial government for a host of issues, including the absence of a health policy, the plan to set up the Sindh Medical and Dental Council and argued that creating such bodies at the provincial level would create more chaos in the medical fraternity.

‘SHCC harasses doctors’

The SHCC, they said, had failed to achieve a single objective it was established for and they included registration of doctors, ending quackery from the province, protecting doctors’ and patients’ rights etc.

Instead, they alleged, “doctors are being subjected to harassment and extortion by SHCC staff as well as by the health department”.

The department, according to them, is penalising the doctors who held a protest in front of the Sindh Secretariat. The department has held back promotions and is refusing regularisation of doctors on one excuse or the other,” said Dr Muhammad Ali Thalho of Sindh Doctors Ittehad, Sindh.

Dr Imtiaz Ahmed, representing the Employees Association of Peoples Primary Healthcare Initiative (PPHI), dema­nded that the government regularise the staff.

“The government initially launched the PPHI as an NGO and then turned it into a company. Whenever, we talk of our rights, we are issued show-cause notices and sacked. Why is the government directly funding the PPHI and is reluctant to regularise us?” he asked.

Dr Abdur Razzaque Sheikh of Peoples Doctors Forum, Dr Ghulam Mujtaba Memon of Sindh Doctors’ Welfare Association, Sindh, and Dr Qalab Hussain Lakhair of Young Doctors, Sindh, were also in attendance.

Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2020