Punjab Paramedical Alliance has given a call for hunger strike outside the residence of the chief minister today (Wednesday) to protest against the non-implementation of their demands.
The decision came after a meeting chaired by paramedics provincial President Malik Munir and attended by all district heads and general secretaries. The meeting highlighted the services rendered by the paramedics and termed it equally important to those meted out by doctors and nurses. They condemned the constant ‘injustice’ being meted out to the paramedics of grade 1 to grade 17. They said the paramedics also serve in the emergency, labs, X-Rays and operation theatres just like others but the Punjab government had been ‘biased’ against them and has been doing ‘economic exploitation’.
They further said other provinces had resolved the issues faced by the paramedics, while in Punjab service structure of Grade 1 to grade 4, health professional allowance of grade 1 to grade 17, and no regular service of lower staff is ‘oppression’ against thousands of paramedics.
They said considering all these factors, the meeting had decided to hold a hunger and protest camp outside the CM House. Moreover, on May 7 protest rallies will be organised at the division level. From May 8 to May 11 every day for two hours paramedics would work with black armbands, while Black Day would be called on May 12 in all district hospitals across Punjab.
