The Director General (DG) of Health Services Karachi wrote a letter to the provincial health secretary, warning the government that the continuing protest by healthcare professionals against the withdrawal of the COVID health risk allowance may raise the risk of mortality and morbidity in communities.
The unfortunate patients and their attendants are facing hardships as a result of the standoff between demonstrators and the Sindh administration.
The DG called for the authorities to make sure that the healthcare facilities keep providing emergency services at least since the regular immunization services have also been suspended in the current situation.
The letter revealed that the Grand Health Alliance has been on strike to get the COVID-19 health risk allowance restored. They started with a two-hour strike at outpatient departments (OPDs), gradually expanding it into a complete boycott of OPDs and, eventually, other wards and services.
Presently, all healthcare providers at public sector health facilities/hospitals under the administrative supervision of district health officers are on strike, and they have stopped offering OPD and in-house services, performing surgeries, ultrasound, and X-rays, and providing facilities at laboratories, blood banks, dental services, and routine immunization.
Thus, in the aforementioned conditions, there is a possible danger of an increase in community mortality and morbidity.
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