A generalized protest of health professionals entered on Monday to his second consecutive day in Rawalpindi, since doctors from three important government hospitals continued their strike against the privatization of public hospitals, said Express News.
The Association of Young Physicians (YDA) has led the boycott, which resulted in the suspension of the department of patriotic patients (OPD) at the General Hospital of Benazir Bhutto, the Holy Family Hospital and the Rawalpindi Teaching Hospital.
According to Dr. Arif Aziz, president of the YDA at the General Hospital of Benazir Bhutto, the association firmly opposes the government’s decision to privatize public medical care institutions.
“We categorically reject the privatization of government hospitals. The government must immediately withdraw this decision,” he said.
Although emergency services and hospitalized patients remain functional, YDA representatives warned that the strike can be extended to other departments if their demands are not addressed.
Meanwhile, the eradication efforts of polyomyelitis and dengue in Rawalpindi have stopped temporarily, since health workers also launched protests against plans to outsource public health services.
Workers in peripheral areas such as Gujar Khan, Chakri and Union Council Phagwari boycott the current provincial polio campaign, expressing a strong opposition to the privatization of the Department of Health. Concerns about labor insecurity, delayed wages and lack of financial protection were followed.
The protest has caused the temporary suspension of polio and dengue prevention campaigns in the region, which raises public health concerns amid continuous efforts to control seasonal diseases.
