Pay raises: Social security doctors to launch protests

LAHORE:

The Social Security Doctors Association of Punjab has decided to launch a series of protests after the government decided to give its members a smaller pay raise than that given to other doctors earlier this year.

Officials of the association told journalists at the Lahore Press Club that the Social Security Department was planning to raise their salaries by Rs3,000-3,500 per month, which was insulting when the salaries of doctors employed at public hospitals was being raised by up to Rs20,000.

They said that all their district chapters had rejected the raise. They urged the chief minister to take notice of the situation and announce that they would get the Health Professional Allowance offered to other doctors. The press conference was addressed by Social Security Doctors Association of Punjab General Secretary Dr Safdar Hussain and Joint Secretary Dr Ehsan Rehman.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 24^th, 2011.