Jinnah Hospital in Karachi has terminated 168 employees due to budget deficits.
The hospital initially hired the sacked employees, including 33 sweepers, 36 nurses, 27 ward boys, and 18 security guards, on three-month contracts to manage the COVID-19 workload.
The hospital’s Executive Director cited financial constraints as the reason for the layoffs, announcing that the dismissal of all affected staff would start on July 1. This decision follows despite appeals from employees who highlighted existing staff shortages.
In a related development, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah approved an increased budget for Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC). This funding boost addresses the facility’s escalating needs, including expanding graduate seats.
During a meeting at Sindh Chief Minister (CM) House, Jinnah Hospital Karachi’s (JPMC) Executive Director, Prof Dr. Shahid Rasool, informed the chief minister of the critical doctor shortage despite the hospital’s growth from 16 to 2200 beds. Consequently, Shah approved 200 additional postgraduate positions, bringing the total to 953 seats.