SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: The employees of district headquarters (DHQ) hospital in Wana, Lower South Waziristan, on Thursday went on strike to protest non-payment of their salaries for the last five months.

Led by Dr Arif, the protesting doctors and other staffers stopped providing all medical services to patients on Thursday at the hospital. All services at the hospital including emergency, dialysis, operating theatre and labour room remained suspended. Prior to this, the protesting staff had suspended elective services.

Protesters said that the strike was aimed at pressuring government to address their grievances, particularly non-payment of salaries. They said that despite their dedication and hard work, their salaries remained unpaid, leading to severe financial distress.

Dr Arif advised people against visiting Wana hospital as all services would remain suspended. Following the initial protest, elective services at the hospital had been suspended. The suspension of all services would increase difficulties of patients.

Sources in the hospital said that around 200 staff members of the hospital, including doctors, were demanding immediate payment of their five-month salaries.

The hospital had been run by Merf Organisation under public-private partnership initiative of provincial government since 2023. However, numerous complaints have been raised by doctors and staff about this arrangement. They alleged that provincial government failed to take any concrete step to resolve their issues. They said that their problems remained unresolved.

The protesting staffers of the hospital said that they would continue their strike until their legitimate demands were met. The strike has not only affected the residents of Lower South Waziristan but also people of Upper South Waziristan as patients are unable to receive essential medical treatment.

Protesters advised people not to visit the hospital unless authorities provided a satisfactory response to their demands.

Published in Dawn, March 21st, 2025