A high-level committee, including senior bureaucrats and politicians from the Punjab government, has recommended an overall package of Rs 5 billion for the medical community to the chief minister for approval, Pakistan Today has learnt. The committee to resolve the doctors’ issues, comprising the chief secretary, the health and finance department secretaries, senior advisor to the CM Sardar Zulfiquar Khosa, Senator Pervaiz Rasheed, MPA Dr Asad Ashraf and Dr Saeed Elahi, met on Thursday to discuss a special package not only for young doctors but for the overall medical community including nurses, paramedics, dental surgeons and others.
A member privy to the development revealed that initially the government had earmarked Rs 1.5 billion for doctors, however the Thursday’s meeting discussed various options to squeeze maximum finances to resolve the doctors’ issues, as various doctors associations had given strike calls. He said the committee has recommended an overall package for the entire medical community and not just for the young doctors alone to avoid any ‘trouble’ in the future by any other service provider in the health sector.
“The Finance Department was taken on board to consider various options to squeeze maximum finances. The committee took the decision after considering the fact that the government revenues from excise and federal grants keep on increasing throughout the year and the government is in the position to earmark Rs 5 billion for the medical community,” he said. The official further said that the decision has been taken considering that all medical professionals have separate demands; such as the nurses demand pay protection, paramedics demand a service structure while doctors demand salary raise. “The committee has recommended revamping the health sector.
or nurses it will mean a Rs 10,000 raise, while paramedics and doctors will also get a raise,” he added. Meanwhile a delegation of the YDA Punjab also met the committee formed by the CM to resolve their issues late night on Thursday. Talking to Pakistan Today, Dr Abubakar Gondal said the committee has offered up-gradation for doctors, while offering a raise for stipend posts. “The YDA however demanded some salary relief in addition to grade up-gradation and if salary raise is incorporated, it will only cost an additional Rs 1 billion to the government exchequer,” he said.
To a question, he said things were moving in a ‘positive’ direction and hoped that the issue would be resolved. Moreover, the cabinet committee, headed by Sardar Zulfiquar Khosa, would meet delegations of the Pakistan Medical Association Punjab and the YDA Pakistan on Saturday, while separate meetings will be held with the paramedics as well.