islamabad - The staffers of government hospitals have given a one-week deadline to the government for defreezing the increment on health risk allowance; otherwise they will march towards parliament or go on strike as a protest.
The employees of government hospitals including Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Polyclinic Hospital, CDA Hospital and National Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine (NIRM) have been protesting for the last one week from 11:00am to 12:00pm daily inside their respective hospitals for restoration of increment on health risk allowance.
The health risk allowance and increment on it in accordance with the increase in basic pay was given to health practitioners by the last PPP government in 2012 due to their exposure to infectious diseases and viruses but the incumbent government has frozen the increment on the allowance in the current fiscal year.
Addressing the media persons at a press conference, the representatives of the employees announced that they have given one week time to the government to pay heed to their demand and after the lapse of the deadline they will announce their next plan of action that may include peaceful march towards Parliament House or strike at government hospitals.
“Health practitioners did not let the patients suffer during their one-hour daily protest,” maintained Dr Sartaj, chairman joint action committee of health employees. “If the government remains indifferent to our demand and does not show seriousness to resolve our issue, we will have to resort to strike,” he added.
“We want to remain peaceful and do not want to create hurdles for the patients,” remarked another representative of doctors, Dr Gul Mohammad.