Patients suffer as JMPC doctors’ protest continues

KARACHI: Thousands of patients continued to suffer in out patient departments (OPDs) of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), National Institute of Child Health (NICH) and National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) as boycott of their OPDs against devolution of those federal hospitals to the province entered in its second day on Tuesday. The professors, doctors, paramedical staff, and nurses under the banner of Joint Action Committee (JAC) of these federal hospitals protested and boycotted OPDs of JPMC, NICH and NICVD from 09:00am to 11:00am. At least 12,000 to 15,000 patients are estimated to visit various OPDs of JPMC, while 4,000 to 5,000 visit NICH and NICVD each. According to the office-bearers of JAC, they had been compelled to boycott OPDs after nine-day long peaceful protest demonstrations at the main gate of JPMC to gain attention of higher authorities. The JAC protest against devolution has been on for ten days. Sources said that the JPMC administration showed resentment on boycott of OPDs when the office-bearers of JAC called on them on Tuesday. The JAC office-bearers argued that they had been compelled to boycott OPDs as no government representative came forward to assure them that their demands had been accepted. The protestors marched from the protest camp at the main mosque in JPMC during boycott hours, however, later OPDs remained open for further two hours after its routine timings to compensate for the boycotted hours. JAC also announced to continue boycott of OPDs of JPMC, NICH, and NICVD on Wednesday and warned that if government made no assurance that its demands had been met, it would enlarge the scope of its protest. Daily times