Sindh government to initiate legal action against striking doctors

F.P. Report

KARACHI: The Sindh government has warned striking doctors from state hospitals across the province of disciplinary action and ordered administrations of all public hospitals to ensure continuation of medical facilities.

In a notification issued earlier, the Health Department warned of initiating legal proceedings against doctors boycotting their duties.

“[The competent authority] has taken serious notice that doctors and other staff are not performing their duties and are on strike throughout the province. Due to their such unprofessional attitude, the poor patients are being deprived of proper medical coverage/treatment, resultantly, general public is suffering badly and a few fatalities have also been reported,” the notification read.

“All the administrative heads of hospitals/institutes are required to ensure the proper functionality of health facilities as well as smooth working in OPDs within their administrative jurisdiction and advise the doctors for performing their duties strictly as per code of conduct, failing which disciplinary proceedings shall be initiated against delinquents…” the notification stated.

Necessary action shall be initiated against those doctors who are continuing their strike and not performing their duties willfully in hospitals, it added.

On Saturday, two children died after they were not provided medical treatment at National Institute of Child Health (NICH) in Karachi, as young doctors continued to protest for a fourth day.

Doctors in government hospitals across Sindh have been on a strike to press the provincial government to meet their demand of pay raise. The doctors have said that they would neither defer nor call off the protest unless all demands are met and a notification issued in this respect.