In reaction: 39 Ayub Medical Complex staff members transferred

Paramedics’ strike in Hazara Division continued for third day

ABBOTABAD: As the strikes of paramedics continued for the third consecutive day, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government reacted by issuing transfer orders of 39 health workers and support staff from Ayub Medical Complex  on Friday.

The strike continued despite reports of negotiations between protesting paramedics and the government.

Ayub Medical Complex Paramedics Association Secretary Abid Jadoon told The Express Tribune, the negotiating team from the government’s side assured the leadership of protesting paramedics they would accept their demands and asked them to call off their strike. However, Jadoon added, they returned empty-handed when they went to get the official notification. This prompted the health workers to reverse their decision.  “Now, we have two demands – one is the basis on which we started our protest and the second is to cancel all the transfer orders.”

Transfer in revenge?

He added Ayub Medical Complex covers an area double than Khyber Teaching Hospital, but the latter has 300 sanitary workers while the former has only 83. Of the 83, the government has transferred 15, leaving hygiene at the hospital at stake.



Jadoon referred to a ruling of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, saying sanitary workers should not be transferred to other districts, but in a bid to punish them for siding with paramedics, the government transferred them to far-off districts. He believed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government crossed the limit when it transferred couples to two different locations. “Nurses, operation theatre technicians and others were unlawfully transferred.”

Jadoon said they would continue their strike until the government meets their demands of raising salaries and cancelling transfer orders.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 13^th,  2016.