Doctors' strike in Lower Dir: Surgery services under Sehat Sahulat Program affected
Surgical services provided under the Sehat Sahulat Program (SSP) in Pakistan's Malakand Division, particularly in Lower Dir, have come to a severe standstill. Due to this situation, patients in local hospitals are facing difficulties in accessing treatment facilities.
The primary reason for this disruption is the protest by doctors against the imposition of new taxes. The doctors argue that the new taxes imposed by the government are impacting their work and income, leading them to refuse to perform surgeries in government hospitals.
As a result of this protest, approximately 180 surgeries that were performed on a daily basis have now shifted from government hospitals to private clinics and hospitals. This shift has increased the financial burden on poor and middle-class patients, as the costs of treatment in private hospitals are higher compared to government hospitals.
Local administration and health department officials are making efforts to normalize the situation. Patients and their families have demanded that the government negotiate with the doctors so that the provision of health services can be restored and the difficulties faced by the public can be resolved.