Karachi Doctors Protest Over FIRs and Harassment
Doctors and paramedical staff staged protests at two of Karachi’s major public-sector hospitals, demanding protection of their professional rights, dignity and security. The demonstrations were held at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) and the National Institute of Child Health (NICH).
The protests came in response to a nationwide protest call by the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA), the Joint Action Committee and other medical organisations. Representatives of the Young Doctors Association (YDA) Sindh and Karachi Division attended, along with doctors and health care workers from the participating hospitals.
The protesters raised concern over what they described as unjustified registration of FIRs against doctors, legal proceedings, harassment, humiliation and character assassination. They also opposed the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) policy making the Point of Sale (POS) system mandatory for private clinics and health care facilities.
The grievances behind the Karachi doctors protest
Doctors said the medical profession already faces numerous administrative and professional challenges. The threat of allegedly unfair criminal proceedings and harassment, they said, had further heightened insecurity among health care workers.
The FIR issue is central to the dispute. Doctors argue that criminal cases registered after medical complications, which they consider unjustified, leave them exposed to arrest and prosecution for outcomes that belong in professional or civil forums. The PMA has made the same point in its nationwide campaign, and it was one of the four concerns behind the two-day shutdown of outpatient services on November 1 and 2.
The second grievance concerns the FBR’s POS policy. Under the policy, private clinics and health care facilities must link their billing to the FBR’s Point of Sale system. Doctors object to the measure being imposed, in their words, without consultation, and argue that it treats medical practice like retail trade.
The third and fourth concerns, harassment and humiliation of doctors, cover workplace security and professional dignity. Doctors say assaults on medical staff and public humiliation have gone without adequate action, leaving them unsafe at work.
How this fits the nationwide campaign
The November 3 demonstrations at JPMC and NICH follow a wider protest. On November 1 and 2, the PMA suspended outpatient department (OPD) services at public and private hospitals and private clinics across Pakistan, while emergency departments stayed open so urgent patients still received care.
That shutdown was ordered by the PMA’s central leadership after doctors nationwide adopted a resolution on October 29. The YDA Sindh backed the action, and its representatives from Karachi Division, NICH and JPMC took part in a demonstration and press conference at the Karachi Press Club.
The Tribune report on November 3 does not state whether OPD services were suspended again at JPMC and NICH on that day. What it records is fresh demonstrations at the two hospitals, in response to the nationwide protest call, with the same grievances at their centre.
What doctors want
The protesters demanded protection of their professional rights, dignity and security. In practical terms, that means an end to what they call unjustified FIRs, action against harassment, and consultation before policies such as mandatory POS are imposed on clinics.
For patients, the distinction between protest and shutdown matters. During the November 1 and 2 action, emergency care continued while routine outpatient care stopped. The November 3 report describes demonstrations at two hospitals, not a fresh shutdown, and patients with urgent needs should still seek emergency care as normal.
The dispute now rests with the authorities the doctors have addressed: the government, the FBR and hospital administrations. Until those grievances are answered, the medical community’s campaign, which has already run through a nationwide shutdown, looks set to continue in hospital demonstrations.
Frequently asked questions
Where did the protests take place?
Doctors and paramedical staff protested at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) and the National Institute of Child Health (NICH) in Karachi.
Who called the protest?
The demonstrations responded to a nationwide protest call by the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA), the Joint Action Committee and other medical organisations, with YDA Sindh and Karachi Division taking part.
What are doctors protesting about?
They cited unjustified FIRs against doctors, legal proceedings, harassment, humiliation and character assassination, and the FBR’s mandatory POS system for private clinics.
Did the protest close emergency care?
The November 3 report describes demonstrations at two hospitals. During the earlier November 1 and 2 shutdown, emergency departments stayed open while OPD services were suspended.
What happened on November 1 and 2?
The PMA suspended OPD services at public and private hospitals and private clinics nationwide for two days, after a resolution adopted by doctors on October 29.
