HYDERABAD: Doctors and paramedics continued boycott of their duties in outpatient departments in government hospitals across the province on Thursday to force the provincial government to restore risk allowance, which it had discontinued recently.

The protesters staged a sit-in outside the OPD in Liaquat University Hospital`s (LUH)city branch under the aegis of Grand Health Alliance (GHA).

Doctors and paramedics held similar protests in Bhitai hospital, Latifabad, Services hospital, Lady Dufferin hospital city and other healthcare facilities.

Meanwhile, All Sindh Lady Health Workers Employees Union general secretary Shama Gulani along with Rabia Dogar, Karima Baloch and others said at a joint news conference at local press club that they supported the demand for the restoration of risk allowance.

They said the Sindh government had started paying the allowance to LHWs as well during Corona pandemic.

Rs17,000 allowance was paid to officials up to BS-17 and Rs35,000 to those above BS-17, they said.

They said the allowance was their right because they were still working amid difficult conditions and putting their lives at risk.

In Dadu, doctors and paramedics observed boycott of OPD for the fourth day in Civil Hospital and staged a demonstration on a call issued by the Grand Health Alliance.

The alliance leaders Raja Rafiq Panhwar, Dr Ehsan Panhwar, Nisar Ahmed Lashari and others said while addressing the demonstration that the employees of the health department were forced to go on strike even if they did not want to.

They demanded that service structure and time-scale for employees should be approved immediately to end unrest.

The health staff boycotted OPDs in hospitals in Mehar, Johi, Sehwan, Manjhand, Kotri, Jamshoro, Nawabshah, Naushahro Feroze and Sanghar.