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Karachi Medical & Dental College (KM&DC), one of the few government institutes to produce doctors and dentists in Karachi, is under serious financial crisis. Our respected teachers have not been paid their salaries for the past 4 months. For the past 4 months, they have been taking our classes, conducted our exams while simultaneously going about their daily duties in Abbasi Shaheed Hospital doing OPDs and performing surgeries without any salary whatsoever from the administration.
These are the people who have taught and molded us into the doctors we are today. We would not have been here had it not been for our teachers. It’s painful to see our teachers protest to the administration like this. Every day, around 400 faculty members which include professors, associate professors, assistant professors, and demonstrators gather in KMDC, record their protest and go then back to their jobs.
Academic activities have been suspended for now, but those in the hospital are bound to take care of their patients. One professor said: “Salary is the right of every individual and if the teacher will not get it, teaching will not be up to the mark because peace of mind is required.”
Apart from this, 150 postgraduate trainees and 350 house officers are deprived of their salaries as well for more than 4 months now. If this continues, they will be forced to shut down the hospital.
Our college comes under the authority of KMC. The principal has contacted the mayor of Karachi, but his response was the usual lack of funds. This is the not the first time that this situation has occurred. We request the honorable Prime Minister, Chief Justice of Pakistan and Governor Sindh to investigate this matter.
Doctors are not always at fault, as is always been portrayed. They have waited 4 months for their dues and if this resorts to going on an all-out strike, then so be it. We’re not God. We’re not made of stone. We are living breathing human beings. Throughout our entire training, we’ve been constantly told that patient care should be our number one priority but how does one pour from an empty glass? They say if the pressure in the airplane drops during a flight, first breath through the mask yourself and then help your neighboring passengers. As of now, we need our share of oxygen, so we can help others.
