Doctors, nurses, paramedical and clerical staff of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Poly Clinic and National Institute of Rehabilitative Medicine (NIRM) on Wednesday staged a massive protest and sit-in at Parade Avenue (D-Chowk), after the authorities concerned failed to pay heed to their 25 days strike, demanding revival of old scheme of Basic Pay Scale (BPS) and against the implementation of Health Personnel Pay Scale (HPS).
Around 4,000 protesters, while holding placards, chanted full-throat slogans against the hospital authorities and blocked major roads of the federal capital, including Jinnah Avenue (from Kalsoom Plaza) and Fazl-e-Haq Road, till evening.
“As the authorities concerned have failed to pay fulfil our demands against implementation of Health Personnel Pay Scale (HPS) announced in National Assembly, while over 20 days protests and sit-in by the staff of health institutions went unheard, the Joint Action Committee (JAC) made a massive protest call on Wednesday. Unfortunately, patients at all the three public sector hospitals suffered a lot. But we have no other option,” a member of JAC told this scribe.
On Wednesday, patients coming from far-flung area visiting PIMS, Poly Clinic and NIRM suffered a lot because of the full-day strike; however, emergency and structured staff remained on duty.
Raja Ilyas, a member of JAC, said nothing yet again had come positive out of this massive protest and sit-in as no concerned official visited the site neither anyone contacted them. “The CADD secretary has moved the summary of BPS employees for enhancement of salary structure, which pending at the PM Secretariat; therefore, no breakthrough has so far been made,” Ilyas added.
The JAC member said it was ironic that on the assurance of the government officials, including Federal Minister Syed Khursheed Shah, Senator Nayyer Bukhari and Cabinet Secretary Nargis Sethi, that they would make every effort not to implement Health Personnel Pay Scale (HPS), but the bill had been tabled in the National Assembly. “The non-medical staff along with doctors, and nurses also rejected the new HPS and preferred to remain in the old service structure of BPS.
He alleged Nargis Sethi was not willing to fulfil their demands and wanted to privatise these hospitals and later accommodate her own favourites.
He said no one from concerned authorities had taken notice of over three weeks strike while the patients continued to suffer. “It seems, the government is not willing to solve this issue and wants to privatise these hospitals, but we will not let them do so,” he said.
Raja Ilyas said according to the law, the Cabinet Division could not pass any ordinance without consulting the relevant organisations such as the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) or Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), but all these bodies had been bypassed “to serve some vested interests”.
Earlier on Monday, over 3,000 medical and non-medical professionals of PIMS, Poly Clinic and NIRM had gathered at Argentina Park for a protest demonstration and chanted slogans in favour of their demands.
All-Non-Medical Health Employees Association President Manzar Abbas Naqvi expressed serious reservations over the unjustified distribution of power among the medical and non-medical staff. “The status of medical staff compelled us to go on strike, as their summary is about to be approved in few days while non-medical staff members are deprived of their basic rights” Naqvi said.
