Advocacy in Action: Rescuing PNMC from the Brink of Collapse

by Shabbir Hussain Jhatial 

The best representation yet. The logic, the articulation, and the wisdom—all matchless.   

Dr. Raisa Gul, Ms Yasmeen Saggu, Ms. Zahida, and all leaders in the protest across  the provinces deserve admiration for their selfless endeavors.  

Let us all play our multidimensional roles: the roles of advocacy, leaders  struggling in popular movements on the roads, think tanks, and above all, the role of narrative builders. Integrating all these efforts into a full-fledged movement will make success inevitable.  

Let us extend our "Save the Council" Movement, i.e., the "Survival of PNMC Movement," to find out the root causes of PNMC's crises over the years and solve the chronic issues that have weakened the council, making it vulnerable to losing its identity. 

Let us not compromise. Let us not hide the dirty truths of the existing PNMC scandals that we know too well but are reluctant to  speak about. This cover-up mentality has only worsened the situation. A change of mindset is needed  now more than ever.   

We can take an analogy from a nursing competency, such as surgical dressing.Nurses clean the wound, curate the corners with precision, remove the infectious debris, open the wound, allow it to heal, and then cover it.  If the  wound is hidden, it could lead to sepsis, endangering the whole body or requiring amputation—similar to the merger now being planned by the government as a last resort. The same approach should be applied to PNMC’s ongoing crises.  

Nurse midwife leaders, listen: "Open up the wound before necrosis sets in, or allow me to take the surgical knife and expose all hidden septic material.". 

Reflecting on Benjamin Franklin’s words: "Half a truth is often a great lie." Omitting parts of the truth is deceptive. Let us not deceive nurses, and let us not deceive ourselves.     

Link to video:
https://youtu.be/XJO0XXA4TrM