KARACHI: Out-patient-departments (OPDs) at public sector hospitals across the province finally opened on Tuesday following successful negotiations between junior doctors and government officials.

The OPDs remained closed for more than a week due to junior doctors’ boycott of patient services.

“We worked in the OPDs but also observed a black day as well against yesterday’s police action. In our late-night talks, the government accepted almost all our demands,” said Dr Faizan Memon of Young Doctors Association-Sindh, adding that the government had issued a notification on relevant matters that had led to the protest.

The deadlock, he pointed out, was over regularisation of Covid-19 doctors. “The government officials have assured us that this issue would be sorted out in a technical way as it has legal implications. We are told that these doctors would be hired on a six-month contract basis till this matter is resolved permanently else we will resume our boycott.”

Published in Dawn, December 15th, 2021