Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Federal Government Health Employees Association (FGHEA) on Monday organized a rally from PIMS to National Press Club and protested against the move to privatize the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS).

Doctors, nursing staff, paramedics and employees of the three government allied hospitals including Pakistan Institute of Medical Science (PIMS), National Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine (NIRM) and Policlinic Hospital Islamabad participated in the protest demonstration outside the national press club to stop the privatization of the PIMS.

It is pertinent to mention that earlier, National Assembly had passed Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Medical University (PIMS) Bill 2013 despite a strong protest from the opposition benches. The bill aims to upgrade the country’s biggest medical facility, the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), into Islamabad’s first ever public medical university.

It also transfers the Faculty of Medicine at the Quaid-i-Azam University to the newly founded institute.

The protesters were carrying banners and placards inscribed with the slogans against the privatization of PIMS to save the healthcare of the poor people.

The protesting doctors and paramedic staffs were chanting slogans against the government amid the fiery speeches delivered by prominent leaders of the doctors associations and the CDA Chairman Labour union, Chaudry Yaseen Malik.

The president joint action committee, Manzoor Abass said that the government has decided to end the medical facility of the poor people who are already living in miserable conditions and this act would add to their miseries.

The CDA labour union chairman lamented that the Pakistan People’s Party claimed to be a democratic party and that party had been made on the name of poor people and labours, then why the pro-people government has been taking such decisions that are harmful for the poor class of the country.

The President joint action committee, Mazoor Abass announced that they would stage protest demonstration outside the parliament house if there demands were not met.

The protesting doctors and paramedic staff said that they had come out for continuity of free medical health care facility of the poor masses.

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