ISLAMABAD - The employees of Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) on Thursday started protest over non-release of salaries in lockdown situation. A statement released said that employees have sent video messages to the media and recorded their protest to apprise them of the bitter situation being faced by them and their domestic helpless situation. The employees of the PMDC said that they have been fighting for their jobs since five months which the government has taken away from them to facilitate the private medical and dental college mafia. Salamat, an employee who has worked as peon for 10 years and is a also a disabled person said, “I started selling vegetables and fruits to run my house with three kids and old mother but now due to COVID-19, I am not able to even go out to earn money as I am the only bread winner of the house and have asthma.” “I and my family are starving and it is better to die with COVID-19 than seeing children die with hunger.” Another employee Zubair Bhutto who is an assistant and worked in PMDC for 15 years said he didnot get a penny as salary as he took loan last year. He said he has an old parent, one widow sister and two kids. He questioned to PM that if he is so concerned about the labourers and daily wage employees, why he is not taking notice of the injustice of Dr ZafarMirza towards PMDC employees. He appealed the Chief Justice of Pakistan to help PMDC employees in this matter. He said “Our families are suffering and we have no hope from the Ministry of National Health Services as despite the landmark decision of the honourable court, the government is using delaying tactics to open PMDC.” Registrar PMDC Brig(R)Dr.Hafizuddin Ahmed Sadiqque said that almost 250 employees of PMDC and their families are suffering badly and even one of our employees has lost his child few days ago due to lack of resources for the treatment. He said that rest of the employees are helpless with their poor financial condition. “It is also very painful to see 250 families crying and suffering. What has COVID -19 to do with them when they are already dying due to hunger?”
He said that PMDC is a very prestigious organisation and the only body to regulate the medical and dental fraternity but unfortunately it has been ruined.
At the moment, 15,000 new doctors could have been inducted in house jobs which are sitting useless at homes just due to closure of PMDC.
He added around 50,000 doctors are not able to renew their registrations and these doctors could have been very helpful in this situation.