KARACHI - Grand Health Alliance (GHA) on Tuesday, completely boycotted OPDs of hospitals from Karachi to Kashmore, seeking payment of health risk allowance for healthcare professionals.

The doctors, paramedical staff and nurses of Sindh under the banner of Grand Health Alliance boycotted OPDs across the province in favor of their demands.

The protest demonstration was held at Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, National Institute of Child Health, Sindh Government Lyari General Hospital, Sindh Government Hospital Liaquatabad, Sindh Government Hospital Qatar Hospital and others hospitals. The protesters were carrying banners and placards inscribed with different slogans.

Similarly, the doctors, nurses and paramedics of Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Nawabshah, Jacobabad, Sukkur, Larkana , Kashmore, Dadu , Badin and other areas observed two-hours taken strike.

Central Leader of Grand Health Alliance Dr Waris Ali Jakhrani addressing the protesters said the Sindh government had badly ignored the health sector and compelled to boycott OPDs across the province.

He demanded for health risk allowance, house rent should be 45 percent of basic pay, health professional allowance should be given to all healthcare professionals, notification of regularization of all contract doctors should be issued, CT scan and MRI should be operated in all tertiary care hospital.

GHA further demanded that Covid contract doctors should be permanent, security bill should be implemented, vacant position of nursing and paramedics staff should be fulfilled in every tertiary care hospital for better patient care, MLO should be hired in separate cadres for every district and tertiary care hospital and 4 tier Formula of General cadre doctors ,nurses and 3 tier for special care should be implemented at the earliest.

Doctors, nurses boycott OPD in Civil Hospital

The Young Doctors, Para Medical Staff and Nursing Association here on Tuesday observed boycott of out patient department (OPD) of Civil Hospital against revocation of coronavirus health risk allowance by Sindh government. 

            Young Doctors Association, Para Medical staff and nurses staged a protest demonstration against the decision of discontinuation of health risk allowance and said COVID-19 threat still persists in the country but the provincial government had issued notification for revocation of risk allowance to the health professionals. 

Meanwhile, a thousands of patients from within Hyderabad city and other districts had to return to their homes in sheer disappointment due to the boycott.