Stopgap measure: Terminated ad hoc nurses stage protest

They were fired after new hiring was done through PPSC

RAWALPINDI: Dozens of nurses at Holy Family Hospital (HFH) on Wednesday protested against the  Punjab government’s decision to  terminate their services. The nurses were hired in October 2015 on one-year adhoc contracts.

Some 20 nurses staged a demonstration at HFH by chanting slogans against the Punjab government and the HFH administration, claiming they had been terminated from service.

“The HFH administration did not inform us beforehand about the termination. They should have informed us and conveyed the reason for termination”, a protesting nurse told The Express Tribune.

The nurse, asking not to be named, said that some 40 to 45 nurses were hired at HFH in October 2015 on one year contracts, with an employer option for one additional year. She said that the administration informed them on Wednesday that their services were no longer required.

She said that the protesting nurses met Rawalpindi Medical College Principal Dr Muhammad Umer, who had hired them. She said that the principal was unaware of the terminations and told them that he would look into the issue.

The nurse said that they were hired in BPS-16 and were paid Rs39,000 per month. She said that she was an orphan and had three younger sisters and two younger brothers, adding that she had been supporting her family since she joined HFH. She appealed to the government to reinstate the nurses as they had been supporting their families.

Meanwhile, Benazir Bhutto Hospital terminated 18 ad-hoc nurses on Tuesday and another 11 on Wednesday.

When contacted, HFH Additional Medical Superintendent Dr Tariq Niazi said that the Punjab government did not extend the contract of 18 nurses as they had expired in October 2016. He noted that the new nurses were appointed through the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC).

Published in The Express Tribune, November 24^th, 2016.