Patients Suffer as Health Workers Protest, Shut Down DHQ Hospital
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Patients Suffer as Health Workers Protest, Shut Down DHQ Hospital

PAKISTAN: Medicines dealers and health staff of District Headquaters Hospital on Saturday observed a shutdown strike to record their protest against the privatization of the hospital. 

A large number of health staff including doctors and nurses, local elders and political parties leaders attended the protest demonstration held out side the hospital. They were holding banners with slogans against the hospital privatization.

Speaking on the occasion, Jamat-e-Islami leaders Abdur Rauf Shinwari, Muqtadar Afridi, paramedics association president Fazal Rehman Afridi,Shah Rehman Shinwari, Khial Madar Shinwari and Jameat Ulema Islam merged districts deputy Ameer Mufti Muhammad Ejaz Shinwsri said that privatization was not the solution to address the patients related issues prevailing in the hospital. 

They accused that the government was privatizing public departments to meet the foreign agenda placed by foreign powers. 

The speakers said the goverment should focuse on corruption and ensure merit in the hospital that had suffered the credibility of the hospital administration. 

They said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led provincial government had swallowed billion of rupees in the name of ex-Fata development but did nothing to upleft the life of tribal people. 

Mufti Mujammad Ejaz Shinwari said there were many weaknesses in the hospital staff but it did not mean to put their jobs at risk by privatizing the hospital. 

He threatened to stage protest at the front of Chief Minister’s house in Peshawar if the decision was not reserved.

A large number of patients mostly came from Afghanistan and far-flung areas of Shalman waited for long hours but were not attended to by doctors as all Out Patients Department(OPDs) were closed during their strike. 

Meanwhile, health saff in a press conference also made it clear that they would not accept the government decision to give the DHQ hospital in public private partnership.

However, a large number of political activists, social workers and local residents through their social media handles welcomed the government decision and said that the hospital would better serve patients if it is being run under the public-private partnership.

It may be mentioned here that the government had decided to run a number of hospitals including the district headquarters hospital Landikotal under the public-private partnership in the best interest of citizens.

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