Trainee doctors face salary uncertainty
REPRESENTATIONAL IMAGE
An air of uncertainty hangs over the monthly pay of trainee medical officers (TMOs) employed by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government on a meagre salary.
The K-P Health Department has requested the finance department to immediately release Rs1.18 billion to enable it to pay the salaries of trainee doctors in time.
In this regard a letter has been sent to the finance department.
The finance department has been asked to release Rs1.18 billion for the Post Graduate Medical Institute Hayatabad so that the institute’s dues are cleared and the salaries of the trainee doctors are paid in time.
Trainee medical officers (TMOs) recently went on a four-day strike across the province creating a lot many problems for the patients. Later the salary was released and the protest ended.
Provincial Doctors Association has demanded of the provincial government to allocate a yearly budget for the TMOs who diligently work on minimum wages, including performing night duty, in order to avoid recurrence of the delay in the payment of salaries.
PDA also demanded increase in the monthly stipend so as to rationalize it, taking into account the current inflation level, and suggested release of stipend in the first week of every month.
Background
Recently trainee medical officers (TMOs) across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) announced closure of elective services in all provincial hospitals against the non-payment of salaries.
They boycotted all services in out-patient departments (OPDs) and operation theaters.
Official sources said that the K-P government was faced with a severe financial crunch, for which reason the TMOs could not be paid their monthly salaries.
Around Rs200 million were required for the payment.
“Around Rs500 million are required to pay the salaries and dues and because of this huge liability the finance department failed to release the money in time,” he added.
Another official said that the finance department approved the release of this amount but due to lack of funds, the department is unable to release it.
“The Provincial Doctors Association and the Youth Forum of TMOs met the officials of the finance department, the Post Graduate Medical Institute and College of Physicians and Surgeons of Pakistan and informed them about their reservations,” said a TMO on the condition of anonymity, adding that they assured that the funds will soon be released.
On the other hand, doctors have said that their seniority has been badly hampered due to the abolition of 1,400 posts in medical teaching institute (MTI) hospitals.
“Some posts have been replaced with other positions, creating a shortage of doctors in the hospitals across the province,” observed a doctor, adding that the doctors association has demanded of the government to reverse the decision taken by the previous PTI government.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 24th, 2023.