JI raises alarm over HIV outbreak and healthcare crisis at Valika Hospital

Key Takeaways

JI Karachi chief Monem Zafar Khan raised concerns over the HIV outbreak among children.
He criticized the provincial government for non-payment of salaries to young doctors.
The JI leader warned that several departments in Abbasi Shaheed Hospital are on the verge of closure.

JI Karachi chief Monem Zafar Khan raised the alarm over a spiralling HIV outbreak among children at Valika Hospital, as well as the worsening plight of young doctors at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. Speaking at a press conference in Nazimabad, he condemned the provincial government’s handling of public healthcare across the city.

Monem demanded immediate payment of outstanding salaries to house officers and postgraduate trainees who had been staging a peaceful protest for the past week over non-payment of dues and other longstanding issues. He highlighted that 78 children at Valika Hospital had tested positive, with the number crossing 100 due to government negligence.

The JI leader criticized the provincial government’s decision to transfer control of 730 additional basic health units to the People’s Primary Healthcare Initiative (PPHI), questioning the purpose of maintaining a government if public services were to be run through private entities. He alleged that young doctors worked in extremely difficult circumstances, risking their lives to serve patients but being paid less than a security guard.

According to Monem, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) was paying only Rs45,000 to house officers and Rs75,000 to postgraduate trainees, while the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP) had set the monthly salary at Rs69,600 for house officers and Rs104,390 for postgraduate trainees in 2024. He alleged that the difference was being withheld and lost to corruption.

The JI Karachi chief warned that several departments in Abbasi Shaheed Hospital were on the verge of closure, with the neurology department lacking both a professor and an assistant professor. The children’s outpatient department had already shut down, depriving thousands of citizens of treatment. He criticized both the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)-led provincial government and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), accusing them of jointly ruining Karachi’s public institutions.

Despite Sindh allocating Rs393 billion for the health sector in the current budget, Monem said the condition of public hospitals was worsening each day. He urged authorities to clear all pending dues without delay and ensure the provision of medicines, medical equipment, and other essential facilities at the hospital.

Monem affirmed that JI stood by the young doctors and would raise their issues at every constitutional and democratic forum, including the City Council and the Sindh Assembly.