HYDERABAD: A group of paramedics staged a token hunger strike against administration of Liaquat Uni­versity Hospital, Hyderabad, on Monday accusing it of selling away infected hazardous hospital waste instead of disposing of it in incinerator.

President of the paramedical staff association, Asif Ansari, general secretary Ravi Tamboli and four others, who led the protest, demanded AMS Dr Faizan Memon be transferred and inquiry be launched against the hospital’s vendor, Al Farooq, said a press release issued by the association.

The protesters said that the hazardous waste was being sold as the hospital’s incinerator was not working. Action should be taken against those involved in its sale and the dysfunctional incinerator should be repaired, they said.

Mr Ravi said that inquiry should be conducted into the sale of hospital waste and demanded that daily wage earners and contract employees should be paid salaries as per minimum wage fixed by the government.

He alleged that when he protested he was asked to submit proof and he was implicated in an inquiry conducted by Dr Munir Ahmed Shaikh. But the inquiry report had not yet been finalised and shared with him, he said.

He said that he had been transferred from LUH to DG Sindh Health. They were being victimised by LUH administration for raising voice for paramedics, he said.

The AMS, Dr Faizan Memon, alleged that Ravi, Asif Ansari and Abdul Ghaffar Rind, president of the association, were transferred after they were found involved in theft of medicine, financial irregularities in pathology laboratory, manipulation in computerised record of lab and blackmailing.

He alleged that Ravi was a BS-1 sanitary worker and was himself involved in the sale of the hospital waste. He allowed the hospital’s janitorial staff to proceed on leave without permission and then forced the hospital vendor, Al Farooq Company to pay them salaries, he said.

Memon said that Ravi pocketed salary of absentee staff and in punishment he was transferred by Sindh secretary health to DG office.

He said that Dr Munir Shaikh’s inquiry found Ravi and Abdul Ghaffar Rind responsible for wrongdoing. He shared a copy of the inquiry which said Faizan Memon acted within his jurisdiction to enforce discipline and address irregularities.

The report said that Ravi and Ghaffar failed to uphold their professional responsibilities and committed misconduct. “They could not provide any authentic evidence against alleged charge of corruption in subs tore No.16 and illegal hospital waste sale,” the officers concluded in the report.

He explained that since the incinerator was installed in LUH city branch environmental department had objected to its use. Therefore, the infected waste was brunt in Jamshoro and non-infected waste was handed over to Sindh government’s Solid Waste Management Board, he said.

“I myself caught Asif Ansari stealing hospital medicines when he was holding post of store in-charge. Later, it was revealed Ansari was involved in such theft and thus surrendered to health secretariat.

“Now they are blackmailing us and demanding that they will end the protest if they are kept at the same positions,” said the AMS.

Published in Dawn, March 11th, 2025