ISLAMABAD:
Fulfilling a longstanding demand of protesting doctors, President Asif Ali Zardari promulgated a new ordinance on Wednesday, paving the way for legal sanction to renew career structures and incentives for medical professionals while retaining their status as public servants.
The ordinance, titled “Career Structure for Health Personnel” (CSHP) 2011 for doctors and paramedical staff, will address the issues of service structure, regularisation of contracts and salaries. The ordinance will come into force retrospectively from July 2011.
Presidential Spokesperson Farhatullah Babar told reporters that the ordinance was applicable to doctors under the federal government’s domain. However, he added that provinces could also adopt it as a model since health has now been devolved to provinces after the 18th Amendment.
“The new career structure has been prepared in consultation with all stakeholders and on the basis of unanimous consensus of the medical community and that is what makes it unique,” Babar said.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Dr Sajid Abbasi, president Young Doctors Association at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, while welcoming the issuance of ordinance said they are going to convene a central executive committee meeting to decide whether to call off the ongoing strike and protest or not.
The ordinance is applicable to all health personnel serving in federal health institutions and related organisations under the jurisdiction of the federal government. It will come into force immediately and will be deemed to have taken into effect from July 1, 2011.
The new legislation envisages replacing the current Basic Pay Scale System (BPS-1 to 22) with the Special Health Personnel Pay Scale (HPS-1 to 13) and will be applicable to all categories of medical practitioners including paramedics and support services personnel.
Babar said that entry into this scheme will be optional for existing employees but all fresh appointments will be made under the new scheme.
According to the new ordinance, monetary benefits under the new scheme, including pay, pension, perks and privileges, will exceed those in the current one.
Another notable feature of the new career structure are the health allowances, which currently begin from Rs2,000 a month and will go as high as Rs45,000 a month. The health allowance will be as follows: HPS-1 to 2 (Rs2,000), HPS-3 to 5 (Rs3,000), HPS-6 (Rs4,000), HPS-7 (Rs5,000), HPS-8 (Rs7,000), HPS-9 (Rs10,000), HPS-10 (Rs20,000), HPS-11 (Rs30,000), HPS-12 (Rs40,000) and HPS-13 (Rs45,000).
The new enactment links career growth of health professionals with improvements in professional skills, continuing education, professional experience, research papers and performance laid down by the relevant regulatory bodies from time to time. All matters essentially relating to their service will be governed by the rules prescribed under the CSHP.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 25th, 2011.
COMMENTS (15)
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It is very good thing that pay is linked with performance, research and in service education. But workload was not still addressed. Service structure for the nurses is still not clear. The quality control for nursing will be measured by whom. who does not know about quality nursing care. Regarding health care allounce should equal for every one who work with patients.
Once again Paramedics are Ignored and it is not a healthy sign for the health system. because paramedics and other staff is also backbone of health department. also it should be implemented in all parts of Pakistan. as mentioned in Presidential ordinance........
Once again Pharmacists are IGNORED and it is not a healthy sign for the health system.
Very sad they completely ignored Doctors of Pharmacy . and place them lower scale then nurses
Cheers to all Doctors out thr
Jiye Zardari :)
Great news, but it should be implemented in all parts of pakistan.
its relly good step and doctors really deserved that. A political goverenment could do and did it.i congratulate Mr Zardari for this ordinance and hence it is proved that only democracy can take this country forward.
Long Live PPP :)
all three provinces (Punjab,sindh,KP) have adopted the new pay structure for doctors butt the Baluchistan government still not ready to do so, despite the long run struggle by the doctors of Baluchistan.
I have not read the completely the present ordinance, therefore unable to comments on the merits and demerits of the said ordinance but i would like to suggest, that in rural area the doctors serving in the government hospitals are giving less time to their official duty in the gov,t Hospital and are more active in their private practice, therefore with the meaning of public servant under section 21 of the Pakistan Penal Code Public servant could not do any jobs, business, private practice for his own benefits. There fore all the Doctors serving in the Gov,t Hospital should be given an option either to do their own practice or to do service in the Gov.t Hospital and all such doctor should be banned from running their own private clinics. in this way they would be able to do their government jobs more effectively.
A 200% increase. . Bravo! Way to go!!!
This very nice decision thanks Mr. president and congratulation all doctors
What about the House Officers???
is this for house job officer as well ??
at last a good news for doctors........BRAVOOOOOOOOOOOO