LAHORE – Paramedical staff participated in the anti-polio campaign on Monday across Punjab wearing black arm bands as a protest against the Punjab government for not issuing the notification regarding paramedics from BPS-5 to 16. The Punjab government has taken special measures to eradicate polio from the country and to achieve the goal, the health department decided to get the services of paramedical staff from various teaching hospitals for the first time in history.
A large number of paramedics took part in the anti-polio campaign and used the occasion as an opportunity to highlight their discontentment about their job conditions and service structure. Most of the paramedics were seen wearing black bands while administering polio drops to children. All Muslim Paramedical Alliance President Malik Munir Ahmed told Pakistan Today that they became part of the anti-polio campaign out of humanity and wanted a polio-free Pakistan but on the other hand, the health department was not sincere with its employees.
He said that all three provinces including Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and even Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) have implemented the paramedics’ service structure except for Punjab despite the fact that the Punjab Assembly passed a resolution in favour of paramedics’ service structure. “We don’t want to be on the roads and want resolution of the issue in a very positive way. But if the government did not implement the paramedics service structure, then they will be forced to come on the roads” Muneer said.
