PIMS employees continue protests against BoG

Young doctors, paramedics in Pindi warn of protests against the introduction of MTI system

RAWALPINDI/ ISLAMABAD: Doctors in the federal capital continued their protest at the largest tertiary care hospital for a third successive day on Monday as they agitated against the government’s decision to run the hospital under a board of governors.

Meanwhile, doctors in Rawalpindi — along with those in the rest of Punjab — have decided to launch a protest against the government’s intention to introduce a law regarding Medical Teaching Institutes, like the one introduced by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

In the federal capital, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) employees along with doctors and paramedics continued their protest against the government’s decision.

Staffers held a protest walk from the Pims Administration Block to the Mother and Child Hospital (MCH) in the facility to protest against the government’s decision.

Employees union spokesperson Dr Asfandyar addressed the protestors and stated that their protest will continue until the government reverses its decision to have the hospital run under a board of governors.

He warned that they could further intensify their protest unless the government reviews its decision on the matter.

“We are not scared of the threats issued by the hospital administration,” Dr Asfandyar said, adding that this will not be the first time that they had been threatened and that they had always remained steadfast.

“If any action is taken against any employee, then they themselves will be responsible for any consequences,” he warned.

The union’s senior vice president Sadaqat Awan said that they have always fought for their rights and even now, they were striving for the rights of the employees and that they were ready to render any sacrifice for this purpose.

The protesters demanded that Pims should be allowed to retain its independent status.

If the government did not reverse its decision to form a board for the hospital, then they would intensify their movement.

Protesting MTI implementation

Employees of government hospitals in Rawalpindi and the rest of Punjab have decided to launch a protest against the provincial government’s plans of introducing a Medical Teaching Institute (MTI) regime in the province, much like the regime introduced in neighbouring Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) by the incumbent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

Young doctors and paramedical staff at hospitals in Punjab have expressed the apprehension that the MTI regime will bring an end to their pensions and the security of having a government job.

Instead, they will be handed contracts for three years which will need to be renewed once they expire.

Representatives of the Young Doctors Association (YDA) claimed that the MTI model had failed in K-P.

YDA wing in District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) President Dr Shahid Mahmood said that YDA will stage a fierce protest against the MTI system. They urged lawmakers in the Punjab assembly to block this bill from passing in the house.

They added that if passed, the MTI system would only worsen the situation instead of improving matters.

“If private practice starts in government-run hospitals, they will be converted from welfare organisations into corporate entities,” Dr Mahmood said. 

Published in The Express Tribune, February 19^th, 2019.