ISLAMABAD - Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) on Monday formed a three-member committee to probe the matter of student nurses within 14 days.
The office order issued said that in the context of ongoing strike by student nurses, a fact finding committee comprising the following is constituted to probe the matter indicated in para-2.
The committee is composed of Deputy Secretary Health, Saeed Ahmed, Section Officer Rashed Munir Shehzad aand Mahreen Baloch, Assistant Commissioner, Industrial area.
It said that the committee shall probe into the following matters of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Islamabad within the timelines as stipulated.
The committee will probe the possibility of payment of stipend to student nurses of PIMS through bank account in three days and verification of disbursement of stipend to student nurses during last three months by the DDO/cashier of PIMS in three days.
It further said that the verification of expenditure on account of stipend being paid to student nurses was provided for 274 student nurses while actual disbursement is being made to 150 student nurses to be probed in six days.
A statement released said that PIMS nurses and nursing students committee conducted a meeting with ED, PIMS about the COVID-19 allowance. It said that the nurses negotiation committee said that COVID-19 allowance should be given to the frontline soldiers, nurses and nursing students.
It also said that 50 per cent nurses and students have become COVID-19 positive during providing nursing care to the patients because they are directly involved in COVID-19 care.
The nurses raised the objection that why the account and admin personnel have to be given the four basic pay equal as a COVID-19 allowance.
ED PIMS said that they are directly involved in patient’s care. When, the negotiation team leader asked from the ED about differentiation and discrimination being done with the nurses. It said that the talks did not conclude and nurses staged a protest.
