Doctors strikes: Loopholes in the service structure warrant protest
Doctors have mixed sentiments regarding the propositions to their demands.
ISLAMABAD:
Showing dissatisfaction over the services structure proposed by the prime minister, the young doctors of Islamabad have planned to go on another strike on May 9. This decision was taken by the Young Doctors Association (YDA) during a meeting held on Thursday.
Through a conference call, they were joined by the representatives of Polyclinic Hospital, National Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine and YDA representative from Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Federal Hospital Quetta, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi, and Sheikh Zayed Hospital Lahore.
However, no one from Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) participated in the meeting. The young doctors representatives of these hospitals, while expressing serious reservations over the flaws in the newly proposed service structure, gave an ultimatum to the Ministry of Health to correct them by May 8, otherwise they would go on complete strike.
All the Outpatient Departments (OPD) and indoor departments (IPD) will be closed down. Only emergency wards and intensive care units will be functional.
They demanded for a representation of doctors in the committee, constituted for making service structures, as the committee members lack knowledge about the requisites of the structures.
Talking to the Express Tribune, Young Doctors Association (YDA) Polyclinic Chairperson, Dr Muhammad Ajmal said the proposed service structures do not define many things clearly.
Sharing the details, he said there is no mention of regularisation of contract doctors, which was among one of the main demands made by the YDA. Similarly, pension, housing and job protection have not been addressed.
The Ministry of Health has not increased the number of vacancies for postgraduate trainees and house officers as promised. T
here is no mention of Time Scale Promotion, which is the backbone of service structures according to which the doctors would get two-step promotions automatically after a year or so.
He said the ministry has given an option to the doctors to decide within 90 days whether they want to take Special Pay Scale (SPS) or Basic Pay Scale (BPS); those who opt for BPS would not get any incentives.
Meanwhile, YDA Pims expressed their complete satisfaction over the proposed service structure and said soon they will be celebrating it as their biggest victory.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 6th, 2011.
Showing dissatisfaction over the services structure proposed by the prime minister, the young doctors of Islamabad have planned to go on another strike on May 9. This decision was taken by the Young Doctors Association (YDA) during a meeting held on Thursday.
Through a conference call, they were joined by the representatives of Polyclinic Hospital, National Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine and YDA representative from Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Federal Hospital Quetta, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi, and Sheikh Zayed Hospital Lahore.
However, no one from Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) participated in the meeting. The young doctors representatives of these hospitals, while expressing serious reservations over the flaws in the newly proposed service structure, gave an ultimatum to the Ministry of Health to correct them by May 8, otherwise they would go on complete strike.
All the Outpatient Departments (OPD) and indoor departments (IPD) will be closed down. Only emergency wards and intensive care units will be functional.
They demanded for a representation of doctors in the committee, constituted for making service structures, as the committee members lack knowledge about the requisites of the structures.
Talking to the Express Tribune, Young Doctors Association (YDA) Polyclinic Chairperson, Dr Muhammad Ajmal said the proposed service structures do not define many things clearly.
Sharing the details, he said there is no mention of regularisation of contract doctors, which was among one of the main demands made by the YDA. Similarly, pension, housing and job protection have not been addressed.
The Ministry of Health has not increased the number of vacancies for postgraduate trainees and house officers as promised. T
here is no mention of Time Scale Promotion, which is the backbone of service structures according to which the doctors would get two-step promotions automatically after a year or so.
He said the ministry has given an option to the doctors to decide within 90 days whether they want to take Special Pay Scale (SPS) or Basic Pay Scale (BPS); those who opt for BPS would not get any incentives.
Meanwhile, YDA Pims expressed their complete satisfaction over the proposed service structure and said soon they will be celebrating it as their biggest victory.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 6th, 2011.