Punjab government and doctors associations on Wednesday put an end to a long saga of a struggle between doctors and the government over the service structure.
Doctors associations, PMA, MTA and YDA presented 54 demands during different timings to the government and Punjab government has agreed upon charter of responsibility under which doctors will not take part in such activity which creates hurdle in the provision of basic treatment to the patients. In case of differences between doctors and Health Department, a high level committee will find a practicable solution of the problem. Two years service will be compulsory in rural areas for new doctors. Doctors having post-graduate degree will be posted in DHQ hospitals so that best medical facilities could be available to the people. However, it has been linked with the transfer policy. Doctors associations will also ensure implementation of the private practice law. In addition, keeping in view the reforms, health management cadre has been created for the administrative posts in Health Department.
Approval has been given to the 25 percent promotion quota for medical officers from grade 17 to 18 as senior registrars while 50 percent promotion quota for the consultants from grade 17 to 18. Similarly, further reforms have been made in four tiers service structure for providing promotion opportunities to the doctors of general cadre after that, under new formula 3 percent quota for grade 20, 19 percent quota for grade 19, 36 percent for grade 18 and 42 percent for grade 17, has been approved.
Moreover, approval has been given to the new posts for 1,400 doctors in grade 18, 1,100 in grade 19 while 200 in grade 20. Health Department will send promotion cases of doctors 6 times to promotion board. As many as 190 new vacancies will be created for senior registrars. Posts of paid house officers have been increased as a result of which paid house jobs will be provided to all male and female students completing education from government medical colleges. Similarly, like all other cadres, approval to the service structure for dental cadre including non-practicing allowance has been given. In addition, it was agreed to send recommendations to the committee for further improving the system of writing ACRs, approval to the Rs 5,000 per month allowance for qualified FCPS medical officers, phased wise increase in the stipend for medical officers and post graduate trainees, approval to the indexation of health professional allowance under which allowances will increase at the same ratio with the salaries. Setting up of a committee for forming transparent transfer policy, establishment of a health services academy and setting up foolproof security system in the hospitals were also agreed.
After YDA, college teachers too announce strike
LAHORE
STAFF REPORT
After the doctors’ service structure issue was resolved by the Punjab government, Punjab Teachers’ Union also announced strike for their demands on Wednesday.
According to reports, Punjab Teachers’ Union organised a meeting, chaired by the officials of the union and attended by members and many teachers from different schools and colleges. In the meeting, it was agreed that if the government does not meet their demands, the teachers will observe a strike to make their demands heard.
They alleged that the federal government had issued a notification and announced allowances for teachers but the Punjab government is deliberately not taking any notice of it. They argued that teachers of other provinces were getting their allowances but the teachers from Punjab were receiving nothing. The teachers also said that they have been working for 15 to 20 years but are not getting promoted and their allowances for lectures was not reaching them. The union announced that if their demands were not fulfilled within a month they will start to protest, close schools, stop conducting examinations and will not perform their duties in the upcoming general elections. Say if their demands, like the doctors’, are not met, they will not attend colleges, conduct examinations