As the protest by the paramedical staff of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Poly Clinic and National Institute of Rehabilitative Medicine (NIRM) entered into 28th day, the miseries of patients have not mitigated, while no breakthrough of demands of Joint Action Committee (JAC) against the non-implementation of the Basic Pay Scale (BPS) system has been made so far.
During a visit of these hospitals on Saturday, a number of patients this scribe talked with said earlier it was power outages, later natural gas shortage and now this almost a month long strike had multiplied the problems of poor patients. “It is very much clear now that the government is engaged in prolonging its tenure by hook or crook and they are least bothered in general public issues,” they maintained. Citizens appealed the departments concerned to resolve the matter on urgent basis as they did not have sufficient resources to go to private hospitals.
Patients coming from far-lung areas requested the doctors to avoid adopting non-professional attitude, follow their professional ethics and serve the ailing humanity instead of involving them in politics for petty gains, as their strike had augmented their sufferings.
Hamza Khan, the attendant of a patient, said strikes by medical and non-medical staff had become a routine. “Whenever they want any benefit they stop providing treatment to the patients just to press the authorities concerned, instead of adopting a positive way to do so,” he remarked. Another attendant from Gujjar Khan Kashif Mehmood, whose sister was admitted to the medical ward of the hospital, said while taking advantage of such strike calls, the senior doctors usually remained absent from their duties.
“I have requested the medico legal officer (MLO) of PIMS and the members of Joint Action Committee (JAC) to listen to my problem, but they refused, saying, “We will listen to you when our demands are fulfilled,” Ali Hussain, father of a patient, complained, adding, “We don’t know how much time it will take the government to resolve this issue.” On the other hand, the Capital Administrative and Development Division (CADD) has moved the summary for the service structure of Basic Pay Scale (BPS) scheme of the employees of PIMS, Poly Clinic and NIRM to Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, but he is currently abroad, meaning there will be further delay in breakthrough.
Meanwhile, realising the seriousness of the issue, members of civil society, lawyers’ community, traders’ fraternity and trade unions on Friday joined paramedical staff of public sector health institutions and demanded immediate solution. Showing solidarity with paramedical staff, minorities’ leader Julius Salik, Tikka Khan from All Pakistan Newspapers Hawkers’ Association, trade union leaders Ajmal Baloch and Munawar Mughal, Islamabad High Court (IHC) President Ashraf Gujjar and educationist Prof Ajmal Jalali stressed government to resolve the public interest issue as the continuous strikes had disrupted the routine life.
Under the aegis of the Pakistan Workers’ Federation (PWF) with a slogan “We Want Roses – Not Thorns. Solve Our Problems”, they said the number of paramedics, nurses, clerical staff and low-scale workers were holding protests and sit-ins for the last 28 days, but no tangible solution had been offered so far.
“At the critical time, when over 100 patients have died in Punjab by the use of spurious drugs, we fear that due to these strikes, many critical patients may breathe their last. Who will take the responsibility, if (heaven forbids), it happens,” they questioned.
They demanded the resignation of Secretary Cabinet Nargis Sethi, alleging that she was trying to snatch the rights of the already hand to mouth paramedics and low-grade employees of these hospitals. “Federal government’s decision to make PIMS, Polyclinic and NIRM autonomous is highly unacceptable to us as the decision would create problems not only for the hospitals’ staff but also for the poor patients,” they said.
“The facilities of CT-Scan will no longer be free for poor patients after making PIMS an autonomous body as it costs Rs 8,000 privately,” said Ajmal Baloch, a trader. He added all over the world, nurses and paramedical staff were highly respected members of the society but that was not true for Pakistan.
J Salik, talking to this scribe, said the government was engaged in solving the memogate scandal and NRO for saving its skin and least bothered to solve the problems of poor masses. “We whole heartedly and with commitment are standing along the paramedical staff and demand their rights with JAC,” he said.
The minority leader stated the non-medical staff of all public sector hospitals has also rejected the new Health Personnel Scale (HPS) and preferred to remain in the old service structure of the basic pay scale (BPS). Members of civil society, lawyers and traders said, “The non-medical staff demanded the service structure for promotion to higher grade for all non-medical gazetted and non-gazetted staff as approved for paramedics and nurses; existing pay scales with all other rights under Civil Servants Act 1972, instead of proposed HPS; payment of salary out of voted budget (recurring budget allocation) through AGPR as already adopted; all existing facilities, perks and privileges as admissible from time to time; and grant of monthly Hospital (health) Risk Allowance equivalent to running basic pay.”
Talking to this scribe, Joint Action Committee (JAC) Spokesman Syed Manzar Abbas Naqvi said, “The officials had announced the Health Personnel Pay Scale (HPS) in the National Assembly but the non-medical staff rejected it in favour of the BPS. Also, nothing has been done for the welfare of the non-medical staff members, who have not been promoted since many years,” he said.
Naqvi demanded all the employees of federal hospitals be allowed to continue as civil servants, Health Risk Allowance equal to running basic pay may be added in the monthly salary of all regular (BPS) employees, service structure for all regular employees be devised based on time frame promotion as in the case of employees of the Education Department and the monthly stipend for the trainee doctors (post graduate residents and house officers) should be continued at Rs 50,000 and Rs 25,000, respectively. “If the PM, like a true democratic leader, respects the wishes of the majority, we will certainly express solidarity with him. We will not allow the destruction of Pakistan’s health institutions,” Naqvi said.