Sindh medical bodies protest healthcare unit privatisation

Medical professional bodies in Sindh, Pakistan, are protesting the provincial government's decision to transfer all remaining basic health units (BHUs) to the People's Primary Healthcare Initiative (PPHI). Healthcare workers have staged demonstrations across various districts, arguing that the move creates a flawed parallel healthcare network and threatens professional stability.

Dr. Farrukh Rauf of the Young Doctors Association Sindh stated that the transfer to an external body systematically erodes career opportunities for medical practitioners. Similarly, Dr. Abdul Ghafoor Shoro of the Pakistan Medical Association Centre criticized the move, alleging that public healthcare standards have declined under the PPHI's non-medical leadership.

While medical associations claim the decision was a unilateral bureaucratic decree made without consulting medical leadership, the health department maintains that the transfer is intended to improve management and service delivery.