KARACHI: The Grand Health Alliance on Friday threatened to close emergency services in hospitals across the provinces if their members, arrested in a protest earlier today, are not released within three hours.
Earlier today, the Grand Health Alliance (GHA) — a collective of healthcare workers campaigning for better working conditions — followed through with their threat of marching on the Sindh Chief Minister’s House after Friday prayers if the government failed to make the health risk allowance part of their salaries by noon.
However, in a counter move, the health department of the Sindh government has ordered the attendance data of hospital staff, as well as medical staff members who did not participate in the polio drive. The government also plans to take action against the GHA members participating in the protests.
After the government’s move, the Young Doctors Association (YDA) has announced to not boycott any emergency services in the province.
The GHA sit-in was ongoing outside the Sindh Secretariat since Monday.
The protesters were halted by police outside DJ Science College after Friday prayers by erecting temporary barriers on Dr Ziauddin Ahmed Road.
However, things went south rapidly and the Karachi police used water cannons and manhandled healthcare providers protesting on the main Dr Ziauddin Ahmed Road, detaining 25 including women.
GHA member Doctor Umer Sultan has said that hundreds of their workers were arrested today. The government tried to deceive them by issuing a notification of the negotiation committee, he added.
