The services of 465 daily wage employees including 100 women at Ayub Medical College were terminated by the authorities on Thursday.
Official sources say the employees have been let go as AMC is going through a financial crisis due to non-payment of funds by the provincial government.
The sacked employees blocked the Mansehra-Kaghan Road near AMC to protest against the decision, suspending traffic for half an hour. They chanted slogans against the provincial government and local public representatives, and said they would launch a movement against the government and AMC administration if their demands are not met by Sunday.
The fired daily wage workers have been working for AMC for the past several years. Despite repeated requests and protests, the AMC authorities did not regularise their services.
According to Dr Ameer Nawab, the provincial government had ordered the authorities to terminate the services of all daily wage employees with the start of new fiscal year, as the government could not bear the expenditure of extra staff. The employees, however, protested against the decision after which they were assured by the hospital administration that their demands would be fulfilled.
However, on Wednesday evening, the administration announced the formal termination of all daily wage employees.
AMC Chief Executive Dr Ziaur Rehman was not available for a comment. An AMC official told The Express Tribune that the matter was taken to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Secretary, who refused to extend any support to the AMC administration.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 23rd, 2011.
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