Doctors boycott operation theaters, OPDs at Karachi’s govt hospital

KARACHI: Doctors here on Wednesday boycotted outdoor patient departments (OPDs) and operation theatres at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital in Karachi over non-payment of salaries.

The protesting doctors were of the view the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation did not issue their salaries on Monday despite assurance. The doctors said that they will continue their protest until the release of their salaries. Meanwhile, all the operations at the hospital have been postponed for an unidentified period.

However, Patients suffered at the out-patient departments (OPDs) as the doctors went on strike against the non-payment of their salaries.

On February 13, the Young Doctors Association (YDA) had resumed their province-wide strike at public hospitals, despite the Sindh government’s accepting their demand to increase their salary.

The doctors had wanted the provincial government to issue an official notification for the pay raise. “The protest will continue till the notification is issued,” they had said outrightly.

The Out Patient Department (OPD) and other operations in the hospitals across the province, including Karachi’s Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Dr Ruth Pfau Hospital and National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases would remain suspended due to the strike, however they would continue performing their duties in emergency and other wards.