Alvi upholds decision to grant risk allowance to 37 health staff

President rejects ministry’s plea, challenging ombudsman’s order

ISLAMABAD:

President Dr Arif Alvi has upheld the order of the federal ombudsman [Wafaqi Mohtasib] to grant COVID-health risk allowance to 37 employees of the National Institute of Rehabilitation Medicines (NIRM) and the Federal Government Services Hospital (FGSH), who were deprived of the stipend after being declared as non-clinical staff.

The president upheld the decision and rejected a plea of the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (Agency), which had challenged the earlier order of the federal ombudsman.

The president asked the health ministry to move a fresh summary to the Prime Minister's Secretariat for the grant of risk allowance to the complainants.

The president in his decision observed that in August 2021, the Agency had provided funds to Federal Government Hospitals/entities to grant COVID Health Risk Allowance to clinical staff and that the Federal Government Polyclinic Postgraduate Medical Institute, Islamabad was also one of the beneficiaries of the fund.

He observed that in 2020, all employees were given a COVID-risk allowance, however, in 2021, 37 employees were deprived of the allowance as being declared non-clinical.

He noted that the Executive Director had recommended the Agency grant the allowance to the remaining 37 employees as all clinical and non-clinical staff worked in the same risky environment, and were equally vulnerable and exposed to infection without any exception.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, December 29^th, 2022.