Social Security Doctors Association (SSDA) Punjab announced it will launch a protest campaign against the social security department’s decision to announce a Rs 3,000-3,500 pay raise to doctors working in the Punjab Social Security Department rather than granting them the health professional allowance (HPA) announced by Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Shahbaz Sharif for the doctors of Punjab.
The SSDA announced the campaign at press conferences in Faisalabad, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Multan and Lahore Press Club by SSDA General Secretary Dr Safdar Hussain Baloch, Joint Secretary Dr Ehsan Ur Rehman, Dr Izhar Chatta, Dr Shabbir Ahmed and Young Doctors Association (YDA) Pakistan office bearers Dr Talha Sherwani, Dr Salman Kazmi, Dr Khuda Buksh, Dr Tariq Saif and Dr Shahid Dareshak. They said the offer of a Rs 3,000-3,500 increment to employees has been rejected by all SSDA Punjab district chapters.
The social security institution is an autonomous institution that works under the Punjab govt to provide health care services to labourers and their families.
The Punjab CM had announced a pay raise of Rs 6,000, Rs 20,000, Rs 15,000 and Rs 10,000 to Medical Officers, House Officers and Post Graduates and consultants and directed all autonomous institutions to follow but the social security department bureaucracy did not follow through on the decision and changed it. SSDA office bearers demanded the Punjab CM take notice of the matter and direct the social security department to implement the government decision of granting the health professional allowance and announce raises of Rs 10,000, Rs 15,000, Rs 6,000 and Rs 20,000 for consultants, Medical Officers, House Officers and Post Graduates.