Paramedics go on strike in AJK

Paramedics press the government to approve health allowance for all health department employees.

MIRPUR:

Paramedical staff of public-sector hospitals across Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) observed a token strike on Tuesday to press the government to approve health allowance for all health department employees.

AJK Paramedical Staff Association, spearheading the strike, announced that a two-hour strike will be observed every day till their demands are fulfilled.

The protesting staff boycotted their duties and established strike camps in various hospitals, raising slogans and displaying banners in support of their demands.

The association warned the AJK government that if health allowances were not approved for all employees till the April 10 deadline, the paramedical staff would boycott their duties and expand their protests to Basic Health Units and Rural Health Centres across AJK.

“The demands include implementation of service structure 2009 as well as basic pay structure for paramedics, including staff nurses, grant of risk allowance and the implementation of policy regarding promotion of paramedical staff,” said Raja Shahzad, district president of AJK Paramedical Staff Association, while talking to The Express Tribune on Tuesday evening. .

While those able to afford costs of high treatment moved to private hospitals, financially-challenged patients were forced to suffer during the protest.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 28^th, 2012.