Nurses protest in Quetta
Manan Mandokhail :
Nurses staged a protest demonstration in Quetta against persistent delay in payment of their salaries. Police stopped nurses from entering the red zone area of Quetta on Tuesday evening.
“Government has stopped our salaries”, Mehvish, one of the protesters told Quetta Voice. Dozens of female nurses staged the protest demonstration outside the office of the Commissioner Quetta Division.
The protesters chanted full-throated slogans against the government for not issuing their contract orders. “Despite life risk, we performed our duties during the COVID19 outbreak”, Mehvish recalled.
Orders of 93 nurses issued: DG health BalochistanÂ
However, the officials said the directorate of the health department has issued orders to 93 nurses. “We have no issue in issuing orders but remaining documents were not authentic”, Dr. Ali Nasir Bugti, the Director-General of Health Balochistan said.
The administration deployed baton-wielding policemen to stop the protesters from entering the red zone of the city. The administration also arrested five office-bearers of the nursing association. Police shifted them to the civil line police station. However, the administration set them free after negotiations.
Protesting nurses refused to end the protest
The protesting nurses refused to end their protest despite repeated requests by the administration officials. “We want orders and payment of salaries”, another protesting nurse who preferred not to disclose her name said. She said the protest would continue till acceptance of their demands.
The Balochistan government had increased allowances of the health professionals to battle the COVID19 in the province. The government has also allocated substantial funds to improve health facilities in the province.
