Doctors and health workers on hunger strike in Lahore
Hunger strikers demanding protective gears for health staff
The doctors
and health workers are observing hunger strike in Lahore against the shortage
of personal protective equipment (PPE) and staff. They are demanding the PPEs
for doctors and health workers who are treating the coronavirus infected
patients at the hospitals. They are also complaining about the shortage of
staff at coronavirus wards.
Young Doctors
Association and Grand Health Alliance Punjab is organising this hunger strike.
Grand Health Alliance consists of doctors, paramedics, nurses and other
hospital staff. Dr. Salman
Haseeb is leading this struggle and himself on hunger strike since April 16. Few
dozen doctors and health workers are on the hunger strike.
The hunger strikers
are working in their respective hospitals and come to hunger strike camp in
turns. They are saying that they will not give up their struggle until their demands
are met. The Government is not listening to our demands, so the hunger strike
will continue.
But the
health authorities in Punjab province insist that there is no shortage of
protective gears and other equipment. They accepted that there was shortage in
the beginning but that was overcome by the government. There are adequate
protective gears and other equipment available in the hospitals said one health
official.
But the
doctors and health workers contradict this claim of the Punjab government and
insist that they are facing problems in performing their duties due to shortage
of PPEs and other equipment. They are claiming that their genuine concerns and
complaints are not being addressed by the provincial government.
According to
the statement issued by Young Doctors Association (YDA), the frontline staff
has been left vulnerable, with more than 150 medical workers testing positive
for the virus nationwide. The largest province Punjab is the worst affected as it
has nearly half the cases. There are more
than 12,600 total infected patients in Pakistan.
Nearly three
dozen doctors, nurses and paramedics contracted the virus in one hospital in
the city of Multan, while seven members of a doctor's family were infected in
Lahore, the statement further said.
Abdul Karim
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