BADIN-A large number of the doctors, paramedics and other staff of Dr Sikander Mandhro (Indus) Hospital, social activists, politicians, traders and citizen including men and women in Badin staged a massive protest. Meanwhile, Indus Hospital’s staff also boycotted their duties and blocked main Badin-Karachi Road for almost eight hours on Tuesday and demonstrated outside the office of Badin DC and SSP against non-payment of their salaries from last three months and Indus Funds halted by Sindh government.  

The protesting employees chanted slogans against the authority concerned responsible for delaying the release of the DHQ hospital’s approved budget and salary disbursement of its employees as well, as this financial crisis had left them unable to meet their daily household expenses.  

While talking to journalists, the leaders of the protesting employees of the hospital including Rizwan Nizamani, Dr Malik Tabish, Wasique Ahmed, Kashif Zaur, Prof Tufail Ahmed Chandio, Advocate Ram Kolhi, Zulfiquar Mandhro, Advocate Ameer Azad Panhwar and others strongly condemned the authorities over delaying disbursement of funds of Indus Hospital and non-payment of their salaries of the employees. 

They said due to the failure of the Government of Sindh to release the approved budget on time under the agreement, employees of Indus Hospital and Indus Network had not received their salaries for almost three months. This delay has had severe consequences, as employees were struggling to meet their financial obligations, including children’s education fees and utility bills, they added.  

They demanded the authorities concerned to release the budget announced by the Sindh government to the Indus Hospital immediately so that the patients can be facilitated with quality treatment facilities and the employees to receive their salaries on time.  Meanwhile, Javed Ahmed Daheri, ADC-I Badin, Dr Zaheer Din Memon, District Health Officer (DHO) Badin and other officials negotiated with leaders of the protesters and assured them to release the funds within three days. After the successful negotiation and confirmed assurance, leaders of the protesters including Rizwan Nizamani and others announced to end of the protest.