Young Doctors Association (YDA) Sindh has issued a hard ultimatum to the provincial government: restructure pay scales immediately or face a province-wide shutdown of outpatient departments. The demand comes as healthcare workers grapple with a cost-of-living crisis that has outpaced their stagnant wages.
For years, the YDA has argued that the current salary structure doesn’t reflect the reality of modern inflation. While the provincial government has touted recent budget allocations for health, doctors on the ground describe these figures as “paper-thin,” failing to account for the skyrocketing costs of fuel, utilities, and basic food items.
“We aren’t asking for luxury,” said a senior YDA representative during a press briefing in Karachi. “We are asking for a living wage that allows a doctor to focus on patients rather than worrying about whether they can afford to commute to the hospital.
” The tension reached a breaking point this week when internal data circulated among medical staff, showing that the real-term value of their salaries has plummeted by nearly 30% over the last three fiscal years. With junior doctors bearing the brunt of the crisis, many are now looking toward the private sector or migration as their only viable options.
The Sindh Health Department maintains that they are “reviewing the demands” and that any adjustment requires a comprehensive audit of the provincial payroll. However, this bureaucratic response has done little to calm the mood in government hospitals. The YDA is now preparing for a “Black Day” protest if their demands aren’t met by the end of the week.
For patients across Sindh, the threat of a full-scale strike is a familiar and grim prospect. With the government locked in a standoff, the stability of the public healthcare system hangs in the balance.
