ISLAMABAD: Employees of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) along with a large number of healthcare workers from across the country on Thursday removed all hurdles and reached D-Chowk and held a sit-in there.

Traffic remained blocked in the area for around three hours. Later, the protesters announced that they will hold a sit-in in front of Parliament House if the presidential ordinance was not withdrawn by Jan 5.

The Medical Teaching Institution (MTI) Ordinance was promulgated by President Dr Arif Alvi last month under which the hospital will be run through a board of governors (BoG). The BoG members have been appointed and notified by the Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) on the recommendation of a search and nomination council.

The employees earlier held a number of protests within the hospital and rallies in different sectors demanding withdrawal of the ordinance.

On Thursday, the Pims employees reached outside the National Press Club and then held a rally towards D-Chowk. Initially, the district administration tried to stop them from reaching Blue Area and then blocked the road at China Chowk. However, the protesters removed all the hurdles and reached D-Chowk and staged a sit-in for three hours.

Grand Health Alliance Chairman Dr Asfandyar Khan told Dawn that the district administration had told the hospital employees that holding a sit-in at D-Chowk was not allowed.

Threaten to hold protest outside Parliament House if ordinance is not withdrawn by Jan 5

“It is unfortunate that things which were legal for Prime Minister Imran Khan when he was in the opposition have been declared illegal for others. Mr Khan held a sit-in at D-Chowk for 126 days in 2014 and now we are being told that it is illegal,” he said.

Dr Asfandyar said when the protesters decided to march towards D-Chowk, an assistant commissioner reached there and said the president of an African country had to pass from there and the protesters should wait for 15 minutes.

“We waited for half an hour but were not allowed to move ahead. Finally, we removed the barbed wire and reached D-Chowk to hold a sit-in. If the ordinance is not withdrawn by Jan 5, we will hold a sit-in in front of Parliament House. Healthcare workers will never allow privatisation of the hospital,” he said.

Islamabad’s Mayor-elect Pir Aadil Shah, who belongs to the PML-N, also reached the sit-in venue and announced that his party will support efforts for withdrawal of the ordinance as it will deprive the citizens of their right to healthcare.

“I assure you that [PML-N leader] Maryam Nawaz will also come here to support you,” he said.

The protesters chanted slogans against the government and the health ministry and vowed to go to any extent to save the hospital.

Published in Dawn, January 1st, 2021