Nurses call off protest after successful talks

ISLAMABAD: A protest by nurses, at hospitals operated by the federal government, calling for better pay and perks has ended after holding successful dialogue with federal Parliamentary Secretary for Health Dr Nausheen Hamid.

The nurses said that that they have not been promoted for the past 25 years nor have they been granted any professional allowance like nurses in other provinces.

They stated that they are only provided with a monthly mess allowance of only Rs1,100 compared to Rs11,000 which nurses receive in other provinces. Those nurses who were still pursuing their education, received a monthly stipend of Rs6,800 in the federal capital, unlike Rs20,000 for nurses in other provinces.

Earlier, a delegation comprising representatives of the nurses’ association went to the health ministry for a dialogue with officials there. There, they warned of pressing ahead with a sit-in at D-Chowk unless they were given written assurances over their demands.

However, Dr Hamid met with nurses of Polyclinic hospital on Monday and persuaded them to end their protest.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 7^th, 2019.