Hundreds of medical staff of Polyclinic and Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) on Thursday staged a protest demonstration in front of Polyclinic Hospital against new service structure of doctors. The protest was called by the joint action committee of regular employees of federal government hospitals against the government’s plan to provide legal cover to the Career Structure for Health Personnel (CSHP) Ordinance 2011. The act allows doctors and paramedical staff under the federal government domain to replace their current basic pay scale system (BPS-1 to 22) with the special health personnel pay scale (HPS-1 to 13). The doctors from PIMS, Polyclinic and Handicap Hospital also gathered in front of Polyclinic Hospital to stage a protest. On the occasion, the action committee member, Malik Ehsan, said: “We want implementation of timeframe promotional channel as approved for paramedics. Moreover, we should be given health allowance and non-practicing allowance.” Ehsan termed the implementation of CSHP a conspiracy hatched to deprive the country’s health professionals of the protective umbrella of civil servants’ rights.” He alleged that all doctors, consultants, nurses and paramedics had unanimously agreed on these demands until Dr Aurakzai hijacked the process by convincing them in favour of CSHP.
